Harry Potter and the Last Battle
by magicisreal
Summary: FINISHED Harry and Ginny are friends-best friends. Then one day, Harry begins to stutter around her. But something keeps them from being together. Hermione tries to get Ron to notice her. Lars is out to take revenge on Harry for killing his lost love. H/G
1. Default Chapter

Harry Potter sat in the back compartment of the Hogwarts express alone and anxious, looking out of the window and into the snow-tipped mountains in the distance. He knew quite well that this was the last, precious year at his school, Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
This was not the first time he'd wished that he was released from school at age fifty rather than eighteen. His birthday this year had been unlike his others, forgotten and unknown. The only ones who remembered it were his friends from school and Hagrid, the games keeper.  
  
The card had been simple, with the words "HAPEE 18TH HARRY" printed in scrawl on the front, but the gesture was not unforgotten. Munching on a chocolate frog, he diverted his thoughts to a much less depressing thought; his friends. He knew the end would come, but he certainly did not have to think about it now.  
  
As if to read his mind, Hermione Granger and a disgruntled looking Ron Weasly burst through the compartment doors, followed by Ginny, Ron's sister, who looked annoyed. Harry knew at once the two were fighting. Hermione sat down silently in the seat behind Harry, keeping well out of the sibling rivalry.  
  
"YOU PROMISED NOT TO TELL!" Ron bellowed at his sister.  
  
"WELL WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?" screamed Ginny back.  
  
"YOU WEREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO KNOW!" yelled Ron as if Ginny was three hundred feet away from him.  
  
"IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ONE THEN WHY DON'T YOU JUST SAY NO?" asked Ginny.  
  
"YOU PRAT, SOMEONE ALREADY SIGNED ME UP ANONOMOUSLY! IF I EVER FOUND OUT WHO DID IT I'D.," Ron made a particularly fierce movement with his hands.  
  
Harry saw Hermione's face turn beet red before she slipped farther into her seat. He knew that whatever she had done, she meant well. "What did she do?" asked Harry quietly, taking Hermione's approach and being as quiet as possible. Ron sank into the seat next to him with a muffled thud and covered his forehead with his hand.  
  
"Ginny told mum I'm a prefect," said Ron in nothing more than a tiny mumble.  
  
"What?" asked Harry cautiously.  
  
"I'm a prefect!" groaned Ron. Harry had heard him, but he couldn't believe his ears. Ron Weasly, a prefect? It was absurd! Ron had been at Harry's side every time he had gotten caught breaking the rules.  
  
"I shouldn't have studied so hard last year," said Ron. "I've learned my lesson." Usually at this time, Hermione would tell Ron off, but she was still as quiet as a mouse. "Ginny told mum, and now she's PROUD of me. Can you believe it? This is cruel and unusual punishment!" said Ron.  
  
Ginny sat down gracefully beside Harry and looked down at the floor. A large lock of fiery red hair fell into her face, and Harry suddenly had an unusual urge to pull it back behind her ear and tell her it was no big deal. He reached up, stopped, and thought better of it. But, as the train rode farther north, Harry couldn't help but notice that Ginny had indeed grown since summer. 


	2. Ginny's embarrasment, chapter 2

Author's note- Sorry chapter 1 was so short, but the rest of the chapters will get longer as the story progresses, trust me!  
  
The cellar was empty and depressing to Lars. Every seldom once and a while, he regretted his mistake; becoming a death eater.  
  
Still loyal to Voldemort thought he was, his life was full of such immense darkness that it was enough to drive any man into Hysteria; except for him.  
  
He could live with the gaping, empty hole inside him. He could live off the thread-bare essentials of life.  
  
He, unlike Voldemort, didn't have to live as a parasite for eleven years. And he never had to have a fearful little ass of a man resurrect him with the blood of his mortal enemy.  
  
He was stronger than his "master", and he knew it. But he was damn near suffocation in the cellar of a cottage in the woods.  
  
He would take revenge upon what was lost from him those many years ago.  
  
The only one who believed in him- cared for him.  
  
On day, one perfect, amazing day, he would kill Harry Potter.  
  
And with that thought, he picked up a rock, threw it in the corner of the basement where a rat lay hidden in the shadows, and ate his dinner in silence.  
  
* * * The train ride was joyful. It was unusually bright for September, and dense streams of sunlight passed through the glass panes of Harry's compartment, filling it with pleasant warmth.  
  
Ginny slept soundly on his shoulder, her red hair glistening in the sun and her chest rising and falling as she breathed.  
  
Ron and Hermione were playing wizard's chess off in a corner, arguing lightly about Ron's becoming a prefect.  
  
Ron had studied quiet hard last year upon the influence of Hermione, but it was still a surprise when Harry found out.  
  
Yet, if he didn't know better, Ron just might have been swallowing his pride about being as good as his brothers.  
  
"I don't see why you're so upset," said Hermione as Ron's queen dragged her knight off the board and into a small pile of mutilated bishops. "Being a prefect is quite an honor."  
  
"Maybe to you, Hermione; it only took to until our sixth year for you to become head girl," said Ron as a tiny blush filled Hermione's cheeks. "But this is ME you're talking to."  
  
Ginny gave a small yawn and turned in her sleep. Her head fell off Harry's shoulder and he caught it in his hands just before she hit his lap.  
  
He let out a sigh. He did not want to wake her. Absentmindedly he reached up to push his glasses off the brim of his nose.  
  
THUMP, Ginny hit his thighs and woke with a start, quickly lifting her head. Ginny turned away from him, slightly embarrassed that she had fallen asleep on him; more or less even falling into his lap.  
  
"S-sorry, Harry. I-I didn't mean too," stuttered Ginny, her face crimson.  
  
"That's okay, everyone falls asleep, right?" joked Harry nervously. Ginny gave a small laugh.  
  
She turned around, her face back to its normal peach color and smiled at him. Harry grinned back. He knew that they could be great friends.  
  
Ginny was a nice girl, Harry thought, forgetting what he had seen at the beginning of the ride in her eyes.  
  
Ginny was glad Ron and Hermione hadn't seen her. 


	3. The great Hall, chapter 3

As the sky turned from magenta to purple, Ron interrupted his game of gobstones with Harry.  
  
"Harry, we'd better get dressed. I expect we'll be arriving soon," said Ron.  
  
Harry let the stone in his hand clatter to the floor, his mouth hanging open.  
  
"What?" asked Ron.  
  
"I don't believe this!" said Harry. "You're turning into a regular HERMIONE!"  
  
"Now, don't be sil-" Ron caught himself. "Don't be a git, Harry."  
  
Even HE couldn't believe it. Could Ron Weasly, trouble maker of the Weasly family, actually LIKE to be a prefect? It was absurd!  
  
Maybe the badge has a spell on it, Ron thought. It was more logical than LIKING to be a prefect.  
  
"I swear, Ron," said Ginny. "If you keep this up, you'll actually be getting A's!"  
  
Ron shuddered at the thought. Harry took Ron's advice and was the last to change into his robes- just in time.  
  
The train was slowing down now. They were there, Harry thought. They were at Hogwarts.  
  
As they stepped off of the Hogwarts Express, They were greeted with the sound of Hagrid, Gamekeeper, gathering the first years for the traditional boat ride across the lake.  
  
"Firs' years this way!" he boomed. "O'er here!"  
  
They, however, were greeted with horseless carriages to take them to the castle.  
  
Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all climbed into the nearest one and were off.  
  
Finally, after many bumps and the faint smell of mold that infected the carriage, they walked into the enormous, towering castle.  
  
As they reached the main entrance, the delightful smell of roasting steaks and kidney pies filled Harry's nose.  
  
He suddenly realized how long ago the chocolate frogs had been- at least four hours ago.  
  
He walked down the hall, his footsteps echoing along with hundreds of others.  
  
He couldn't believe he was starting his last year at Hogwarts. He never thought it would come.  
  
He looker over at Ginny beside him; how lucky she was. Ignorance was bliss; in her case, anyway.  
  
As they walked through the two swinging doors to the Great Hall, the ever- so-familiar Smell of treacle pudding, the chattering laughs coming from the four separate tables, The hundreds of candles floating above everyone's heads, and the enchanted ceiling towering above them all.  
  
He, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny found seats by Dean Thomas and Seameus Finnigan, Harry's fellow Seventh-years in the center of the rectangular table.  
  
Dumbledore, the ancient Headmaster, tapped his glass loudly to declare the start of term notices. Nothing important, Harry thought as he reminded them not to do magic in the halls under Filch, the horrible caretaker's orders (which, of course, no one followed unless he was watching).  
  
And then the feast began. A wonderful feast it was, just like the other seven years that Harry had enjoyed it. After an hour of joyful stories of summer vacations, I was off to the dormitories.  
  
The common room was just the same as it had been when he was in his first year; puffy, overstuffed red chairs surrounding a crackling, friendly fire. And, as Harry climbed the stairs to the boy's dormitories, he felt he was home for the last time. 


	4. Voldemort's wrath, chapter 4

Author's note- Hi, there! Thank you to the people who are reading my fanfic; and to the others, GO OFF AND RUN THROUGH A BLAZING CHEMICAL FIRE! Lol, just kiddin! Sorry that chapter 3 rushed a bit, but I had already spent two chapters writing about how they were on the train and this is going to be, like, 25 chapters as it is, if I start writing longer ones. GRRR! I can't seem to figure out how many words you can fit in one chapter. But I will, just give me TIME! Toodles! (Oh, and P.S., this chapter is kind of gory and it truly stands for it's PG-13 rating.)  
  
The cellar door opened above the stairs, pouring light into Lars's large pupils. He dropped to his knees and shielded his eyes until his vision cleared.  
  
"Stand up, you stupid boy," said a high, venomous voice.  
  
Lars stood up slowly, not looking into his master's eyes.  
  
"Look at me, boy!" screeched Voldemort.  
  
He looked up from the floor, his eyes tearing with pain from the light and the face of his master and shuddered visibly.  
  
Voldemort gave a small, poisonous smile through thin, white lips.  
  
He walked the stairs swiftly and stood face to face with Lars.  
  
He couldn't stand it; he tried to look down again but Voldemort grabbed him by the jaw bone with one strong, spindly hand.  
  
He thought he would pass out from pain, merely by the touch of this pure evil.  
  
"Scared of me, are you boy? Can you stand to look in the face if your master?" He whispered in Lars's face.  
  
Voldemort moved his hand to Lars's neck and threatened to puncture his jugular vain with on long, sharp fingernail.  
  
It was then Lars realized he was wrong. Voldemort was more powerful than he could ever have thought him to be.  
  
He mistakenly gave a small whimper of pain and fear.  
  
Voldemort hissed.  
  
"Servants do not cry! Be the end of you!" he screeched before pushing his nail into Lars's thin neck.  
  
He staggered backwards, blood pouring onto his ragged cloths.  
  
Every second, h lost precious pints of blood. He fell to the floor, getting dizzier as the puddle of his own bloodshed grew around him.  
  
He heard Voldemort scream "Crucio!" and the pain was more than any human could bare. Every bone in his body was breaking and his head was going to split.  
  
Voldemort climbed he stairs, leaving him to squirm in pain and loss of blood.  
  
Finally, at long last, the agony stopped and he neither writhed nor bled no more.  
  
* * * Harry jolted up from his bed, his scar stinging horribly.  
  
Had it been real?  
  
He could feel the boy's (no older than twenty at most) agonizing pain.  
  
He thought for a second of going to Dumbledore's office, but thought better of it.  
  
How would it look if he came to the Headmaster on the first night of the new school year and complained about a nightmare and his scar hurting, like he had so many times before?  
  
He let out a long, soft sigh and tried to fall back asleep. 


	5. Hermione's sleeping love, chapter 5

Author's note- OMG! I can't believe I wrote chapter 4! That, I must say, is one of my most-err-descriptive scenes in a story ever. This chapter will be more tender, and it's got some Hermione/Ron- well, Hermione-and-Ron-asleep- in-his-bed. A LOT less gruesome. Oh, and PS, there's gonna be a HUGE twist to this story with Lars. I mean, he's going to change EVERYTHING!  
  
Hermione clicked her small bed lamp on. She didn't understand it.  
  
She didn't understand why she fought with him, why she broke up with Victor Krum over him, Or, for the most part, why she felt this way about him.  
  
Hermione had known, from the moment she saw him on her first ride on the Hogwarts express, a boy-ish grin on his face, that she had loved him.  
  
But Ron was her best friend, why jeopardize a friendship over a crush?  
  
"But what if he feels the way I do?" Hermione argued with herself aloud.  
  
Finally, after a few minutes of persuading herself to find the courage deep inside her, she silently crawled out of bed and crept to the door, slipping through it like a mouse.  
  
She walked quietly across the common room and made her way to the boy's dormitories. She quickly found the seventh-year and opened the door.  
  
She couldn't believe she was doing this. She'd never even had enough courage give him a mere hint.  
  
And there he was.  
  
He had left his hangings just partly open, and though it Hermione caught a glimpse of sleeping, fiery red hair.  
  
She tiptoed to Ron's bed and pulled the hanging back all the way. She sat on her knees, looking at him with adoration in the darkness of night.  
  
She wondered if he was dreaming about her, or if he was merely dreaming about a giant toad like any other non-love struck teenaged boy.  
  
Hermione ran her fingers through his soft, tangled red mane. She touched a freckle filled cheek. He was so handsome.  
  
She held his hand; fingers laced with hers, and laid her head on his bed side. She closed her eyes. This truly was the best feeling in the world.  
  
She could feel his warmth, hear his steady breathing. Hermione wanted to fall asleep and stay there forever.  
  
Unfortunately, Harry Potter would not let that happen.  
  
"What are you doing here, Hermione?" he asked, startling her. She turned around quickly to face him, being ever-so-careful not to wake Ron.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione whispered.  
  
"What are you doing in here?" Harry repeated.  
  
"I was just-" Hermione raked her brain for a reasonable response. "I was just giving him his-Prefect badge!" she said.  
  
She knew quite well how stupid this sounded- sneaking into the boys dormitories, holding a sleeping Ron Weasly's hand, running her fingers through his hair in the middle of the night.  
  
And with an excuse like the one she had given him, she wouldn't be surprised if Harry woke Ron up now to tell him she fancied him.  
  
"But it's right there!" Harry hissed, pointing to Ron's bed side table where his bade gleamed in the darkness.  
  
Luckily Harry still had his light turned off, or he would have seen that Hermione's face was the color of Ron's hair.  
  
Harry smirked.  
  
"Say no more, Hermione. I promise I won't tell him," he said.  
  
Hermione decided it was best to give in and let someone know. And who would be better than her other best friend?  
  
"Thank you, Harry," she said. And, as Hermione closed the door to his dormitory, Harry laughed quietly, smiled, and rolled over.  
  
"About time," he mumbled before falling asleep again.  
  
* * * The next morning, he woke to the sound of Ron yawning loudly.  
  
He sat up and looked over to Ron's bed, the curtains still pulled back from last night.  
  
"I had the weirdest dream last night," Ron said.  
  
"Was it about someone coming in here and lying there head down on your bed while talking to me?" Harry asked.  
  
"No, I dreamt that I was a giant toad. Good guess though," said Ron as he pulled back his hanging and got dressed. 


	6. the prefect badge, chapter 6

Ginny woke to the faint noise of birds singing beyond her closed window. She peeked through the divide in her hangings-no one else was up yet.  
  
Slipping a thin, silky nightgown over her head, she walked over to the window beside her in worn, lavender slippers that used to be royal purple.  
  
Sparkling frost covered the window so that the sun cast a comfortable, pastel-ish glow on her bed, which was closest to the wall.  
  
She peered out the ice-covered windows to the grounds below her.  
  
There was the lake, the sun reflecting over its glistening green water. The whomping willow was slumbering peacefully (something it seldom ever did).  
  
Hagrid's hut was emitting large puffs of smoke from a slightly bent chimney on the side of the grounds. Hogwarts was exactly the same as it had been six years ago.  
  
She was about to pull the curtains closed when something quite unusual caught her eye.  
  
Something transparent and white was floating above the forbidden forest.  
  
And-no, it couldn't be- was it getting closer? Yes, It most definitely was. In fact, it looked like it was heading straight for Ginny's dorm window.  
  
As it flew closer with growing speed, Ginny saw that it was the ghost of a girl in a lacy dress.  
  
She had short hair just below her ears that flew behind her. She looked no older than eighteen at most.  
  
Ginny noticed that she was mouthing something. It looked like- "Lers? Lores?  
  
The ghost girl was about a hundred feet away from her now.  
  
And then she heard it- in a small, echoed voice- LARS.  
  
The ghost was saying Lars. She flew still- eighty feet away, she grew louder- sixty feet, louder still- forty feet, she was screaming- when the ghost was ten feet away, Ginny ducked below her window as the ghost flew into her dormitory.  
  
The ghost took no notice of Ginny or her sleeping female friends as she screamed again. "Lars!" she screeched.  
  
She flew through the other side of the room and disappeared. Ginny stared Wide eyes at where the ghost had gone through the far wall.  
  
Her other roommates were still slumbering happily in their beds. The screaming had been so loud- hadn't it woken them?  
  
She walked, eyes still bulging, to her dresser and pulled on her robes.  
  
She walked through the door leading to the common room. "Right then," she said to herself.  
  
What a way to start out the school year.  
  
* * *  
  
Ron jumped down the last three steps to the common room, which was partly filled with Gryffindor students looking over their course schedules or eating bits of bacon or toast from the great hall.  
  
He was just about to flop onto a red, overstuffed sofa when Harry dangled his prefect badge in front of his nose from behind.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes but took it despite himself.  
  
He tried to pin it to the front of his robes but pricked his finger instead.  
  
"Oh, for heaven's sake!" said Hermione exasperatedly, who was sitting on a nearby chair; reading, as usual.  
  
"What's your problem?" Ron asked. Hermione ignored him.  
  
She closed her book and walked swiftly over to him, pretending to be annoyed. She took the badge from his hand, her face reddening, and grabbed a handful of his robes.  
  
She pulled on them instinctively and he moved closer to her, not giving it a second thought.  
  
She pinned the golden "P" to him with ease.  
  
"There," Hermione said, looking at the floor, sure her face would give away her feelings. Now let's get some breakfast." 


	7. love from Mrs Figg, chapter 7

Author's note- Alo, Alo, readers! I changed the summary to my story, beings as it was a bit cockeyed. Anyways, I'm also writing an original story called "the incredibly messed up tales of Liz Marie Edgar" about a girl who uncovers a secret about her great grandmother that will change her life forever. It's really not as boring as it sounds! I'll probably post it in the original fiction, so keep a lookout! I love you all! (blows sarcastic kisses)  
  
  
  
The great Hall was crowded with students eating breakfast, chatting with old friends, or first years hassling the older pupils in a frenzy to figure out their course schedules.  
  
Harry pitied them; he remembered quite clearly his first days at Hogwarts.  
  
Those were the days. When he was eleven, he didn't have to worry about death or Voldemort coming back to power.  
  
He didn't have the horrible weight about Cedric on his shoulders that would never go away.  
  
In his fifth year, the order of the phoenix had fought against him, but they did little harm.  
  
His last year proved to be the most effective. With the help of his arch enemy, Draco Malfoy, they had taken down at least half of Voldemort's followers.  
  
Including his most "faithful" servant, Peter Pettigrew, or Wormtail as he was called in his school days.  
  
Odd as it may seem, Harry and Draco had made quite a good Auror team.  
  
Draco's father had attempted to bring him to the dark side, but Draco escaped.  
  
After the battle, however, they both resumed despising each other as if nothing had happened.  
  
"Harry, let's find some seats!" said Ron, running to an empty space where Ginny sat.  
  
Harry and Hermione followed, helping themselves to the sausages in front of them.  
  
"Lo, Ginny," said Harry merrily.  
  
"Hi, Harry," said Ginny, her face, surprisingly, hardly reddening at all.  
  
Harry was about to begin a more interesting conversation when a large, snowy white owl flew in front of Harry's breakfast plate.  
  
"Hello, Hedwig," said Harry, feeding her a bit of steak as he took the letter from her beak.  
  
Hedwig flew out of the Great Hall, most likely to the owlry. "Bit early for mail," Hermione said.  
  
"Well, open it then," said Ron. Inside to small, white envelope was a piece of crisp parchment which read:  
  
"Dear Harry, I don't know what time the Hedwig should reach you, But being as she is quite a fast owl, I expect you should get this a bit early. Anyway, I wanted to wish you a Happy year! I'll be waiting for you when you come home for the last time.  
  
Love From, Arrabella"  
  
Harry smiled as he folded up the letter; He had only found out that Mrs. Figg was a witch sent to protect him this summer.  
  
After he uncovered her secret, however, she had been quite caring, unlike she had been for the past years while posing as his uptight babysitter.  
  
"Mrs. Figg, I expect," said Ginny, who had been peering at the letter. "Dad knows her.  
  
She's a very powerful witch, you know," she said, reading his blank face. 


	8. The smell of love, chapter 8

Author's note- K, I've JUST now figured out how stupid I am. A belated, forgotten disclaimer- I DON'T OWN CRAP! (And that goes to anyone who lives in box on the side of the curb.) Oh, and Draco's going to be coming up soon. Don't worry! As you are going to find out in some of my later chapters- Yes, I'm love struck. When I feel intense emotion is when I write my best, so keep an eye out for some tear jerking love scenes! The guy I like is really funny and sweet. Oh, god! I'm so into telling complete strangers about My personal life, I forgot to write!  
  
The great Hall slowly emptied with students leaving to their next classes so Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny could study their schedules in peace with the rest of the un-hurried children.  
  
"Hmmm, I have Professor Mcgonnogal at nine- that's in half an hour- and then Flitwick at Eleven," said Hermione, her schedule in front of her nose.  
  
"I have Mcgonnogal at nine, too," said Ron. Hermione flushed a bit.  
  
"So do I," said Harry, looking over his schedule with the other two.  
  
"You three are lucky. I have potions first!" said Ginny with a grimace.  
  
"That reminds me," said Ron. "I left my potions book on the nightstand. I'll see you in transfiguration!" he said, running out the hall doors.  
  
Hermione stared after him. Her expression must have been somewhat glazed, because Ginny cleared her throat and gave her a knowing smile.  
  
She flicked her head at Harry. He noticed.  
  
"What?" he asked, staring at one to the other, confused.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Ginny said. "Just discussing lost causes."  
  
* * *  
  
Ron ran up the stairs to his dormitory. The door was still wide open, the beds unmade. Seameus, Dean and Neville must have gotten up late.  
  
He sat down on Dean's messy bed and unpinned his prefect badge. I gleamed magically.  
  
He would never admit it, but he was rather prod of becoming a prefect. In his sixth year, Hermione pushed him harder than ever to do his work.  
  
It eventually paid off and Ron began to do the work himself, getting spectacular grades along the way.  
  
It was a bit hard to play dumb; letting Hermione pin his badge to him. But it wasn't all bad.  
  
He hadn't the slightest idea why, but hermione's hand against his chest made him shiver.  
  
It was a good shiver; oh yes. But not a single thought about Hermione as more than a friend crossed his incredibly dense mind.  
  
Ron suddenly remembered what he had come up here for and walked over to his bed, re-pinning his badge to his robes.  
  
He pulled back his hangings-wait a minute, didn't he pull them shut last night?- and grabbed his potions book.  
  
He turned to face the door when a smell met his nostrils. Oh, it was so beautiful. He sniffed his hangings; where the smell was coming from.  
  
Flowers. Honey. Pine sap. He knew that smell vaguely, remembered it from a time ago.  
  
Was it possible to fall in love with a smell? But, maybe it wasn't just a smell. Maybe it was something else.  
  
He savored that moment, keeping the scent engrained in his nose.  
  
He walked out the door, not knowing that he had just fallen in love with a girl that had pulled his hangings back the night before. 


	9. Ginny in the nightdress, chapter 9

Author's note- Yippee! Reviews make me feel all tingly and happy! I think I'm going to dance! (magicisreal spins on her head and does the splits) Phew! Anyways, if you guys want to see a completely different Ginny, you will- just wait. Ms. Ginny Weasly is going to make her big da'bieu at the first Hogsmeade visit. And what a big impression it will be!  
  
Ron stumbled into Mcgonnogal's classroom just in time.  
  
He took his regular seat beside Harry gracelessly as his shins caught his fall and he toppled into the seat.  
  
He didn't seem to notice his legs were beginning to form large red bumps because he still had the weird smile plastered on his face as when he walked through the door.  
  
"Are you okay?" Harry whispered as Mcgonnogal whisked through the doorway.  
  
"Pine sap" Ron said, his head cloudy.  
  
"What?" Harry asked him, bewildered.  
  
"Honey," Ron cooed.  
  
"Honey?" Harry said. Did his best friend just call him HONEY?  
  
"Flowers," Ron muttered, his eyes slightly off focus.  
  
Harry couldn't seem to make sense of his words.  
  
Hermione giggled beside him.  
  
"That's it," Harry said. He slapped Ron and he immediately came to his senses.  
  
"It was amazing. My hangings-they smelled like- like- love. It was like some beautiful girl left her scent around my bed," said Ron.  
  
He had no idea that what he had said was perfectly correct.  
  
Hermione's ears turned bright red and she sunk into her chair.  
  
* * * The rest of the classes went rather smoothly that day; Professor Snape seemed to be the only teacher that had assigned home work for that night.  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione sat alone in the common room late that night trying to figure out how much mandrake seed you needed to add to a sleeping draught.  
  
Finally, long after Hermione and Ron solved the equation, Harry scribbled down a few numbers and told Ron he'd be up to bed soon.  
  
Harry needed to think. Not about anything in particular- just think. And alone in the scarlet and gold common room, laying on a puffy love seat, he thought.  
  
He thought about Mrs. Figg, about Malfoy, about the quidditch tryouts, about how this was his last year at Hogwarts, and about everything in between.  
  
But not a thought of Ginny crossed his mind until he heard a soft creek from the stairs of the Girl's dormitories and looked up to see her standing there in her blue night dress and purple slippers.  
  
Her read hair lay softly on her shoulders.  
  
"Harry?" she said.  
  
"Hi, Ginny," Harry said.  
  
"What are you doing down here?"  
  
"Thinking," Harry said. "Why are YOU down here?"  
  
"Well, Hermione told my you hadn't come up to be, so I just thought I would- um-sit here with you. Is that okay?" she asked.  
  
"Sure." Harry sat up to make room for Ginny next to him.  
  
She sat down with a "puff" from the couch.  
  
"Does it feel weird that this is you last year?" Ginny asked.  
  
"A little. But I've still got the whole year so I don't have to worry about it just yet," Harry said.  
  
"You won't be able to say that forever, you know," said Ginny.  
  
"I know," Harry said.  
  
They were silent for a few moments. Ginny pulled her feet onto the sofa and curled up beside Harry. He was so warm!  
  
The two of them watched the crackling fire for a long time. Ginny wondered is Harry was thinking the same thing she was.  
  
"I'll miss you, Ginny," aid Harry. "Will you miss me?"  
  
"You have no idea," Ginny said under her breath. 


	10. Draco's apperance, chapter 10

Lars's eye slowly opened He was still lying on the floor in his now dried blood. Had he survived?  
  
It seemed that way indeed. He could feel the cold stone underneath him and still ached horribly from the Crutacious Curse.  
  
He didn't want to look at himself. He didn't want to see the face that he hadn't seen in years.  
  
It was times like these he was quite glad that Voldemort didn't own a mirror. He comforted himself with the thoughts of his lost love.  
  
Lars closed his eyes; he could see her face so clearly. She was so beautiful. He could see every one of her short, dirty blond hairs below her ears.  
  
He could see her every facial line and that lacy dress she cherished so. He remembered seeing her smile at him through her window.  
  
It was such an honor to be her next door neighbor. Her parents were so caring, so trustworthy and loving.  
  
Why did she have to eave him? Why did she have to die? It was his undying love for Mary that caused his awful hatred to THAT boy- to Harry Potter.  
  
* * *  
  
The end of September came with a bang; that was for sure. Winds blew across the frozen grounds.  
  
The lake formed a thin layer of ice over the top of it and even the Giant Squid was having a bit of trouble swimming in its freezing water.  
  
Harry and Ginny, after the first night of the school year, began to form a close friendship with Harry and had, more or less, been accepted into the trio of Ron, Harry and Hermione at last.  
  
Harry thought of her as a comforting friend, a sister that he had never had. She was a warm shoulder to lean on.  
  
The only thing that bothered him was when they got close, the hairs on the back on his neck would stand up for unknown reasons.  
  
Ginny thought of him as a human being, as she always had, and not some larger-than-life action hero from some four-star movie.  
  
She loved him for the thick headed, handsome, personality-filled boy he was. She loved him; he didn't love her back.  
  
She was, in a sense, okay with that now. He didn't look at her as a little girl any longer; at least she hoped not.  
  
Being friends with him was more than enough. In fact, just being close enough to watch him move was enough for her.  
  
She cared for him so deeply it hurt. She would rather die in the hands of Voldemort than see him suffer a scratch.  
  
It scared her that she had such feelings for Harry Potter. Hell, it scared her she had such feeling for anyone.  
  
Ron continued to sniff at his hangings every night to see if maybe the girl had come back (of course, Hermione knew better), and Hermione hid her feeling with her homework, burying herself within her books.  
  
At this moment, Ron sat in the common room early that morning, sleeping on the couch, a book on his chest.  
  
Hermione saw him from the bottom of the stairs and smiled. She walked over to him and bent down on her knees.  
  
"Ron," Hermione said, shaking him awake. Ron came to and his vision focused. "Ron, it's me."  
  
"What?" Ron asked, dazed.  
  
Hermione help up her wrist for him to sniff. Her heart beat out of her chest. She couldn't believe she was doing this.  
  
Ron Weasly would know that she liked him.  
  
He took a great sniff and looked at her.  
  
"A-A-ACHOO!" sneezed Ron, wiping his nose with a handkerchief. Hermione sighed, wiping his mucus off her robes.  
  
"Sorry, Hermione. Bit of a cold," said Ron stuffily.  
  
"It's alright, Ron," said Hermione, frustrated. She finally found the courage to tell her love how she felt and what did he do?  
  
He sneezed on her robes, that's what. Hermione didn't think she could bear it much longer. She needed him.  
  
That was that.  
  
* * *  
  
"So are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend, Harry?" Hermione asked him at lunch that day.  
  
"I guess so. It's gotten a bit old," said Harry.  
  
"I'm going to go," said Ron. He was still a bit embarrassed from that morning. "I just hope it won't be to cold."  
  
"I'll go, too. How about if we meet at the three broomsticks?" asked Ginny.  
  
"I'm up for it. That's about my favorite place besides the candy shop," said Harry. The others agreed as well.  
  
Ron began to take a sip of milk when none other than Draco Malfoy slithered snake-like behind him.  
  
"Draco," muttered Harry.  
  
"Hello, Potty. I expect you'll be trying out for Quidditch captain next month," he sneered.  
  
"What's it to YOU?" Ron said venomously. Draco ignored him.  
  
"We'll just see how big of a git you make of yourself, then," said Draco. He walked back over to the Slytherin table, snickering at his own joke.  
  
"Bastard," Ron said.  
  
"RON!" Hermione scolded.  
  
"Well he is," Ginny said, looking over to the table beside them. 


	11. The hiding spot, chapter 11

Author's note- boo hoo! I haven't gotten any reviews! SOMEBOY GIVE ME A REVIEW! This chapter will have a lot of Harry/Ginny in it. I'm beginning to write longer chapters- FINALLY! I've just sort of been obsessing over my writing this week and so I'm posting chapters one after another. Anyway, Here's the next chapter!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"WHERE IS IT?!" screamed Ron.  
  
"Where is what?" Harry asked him. Ron had screamed so loud that bits of dust fell from the dormitory ceiling.  
  
"MY PREFECT BADGE!" roared Ron, tearing the covers off is bed.  
  
Harry couldn't help but stifle a laugh. He was strongly reminded of Percy and it seemed that his friend was finally letting his real feelings out about being a prefect.  
  
"What's so funny?" Ron asked, panting.  
  
"Oh, it's just-," Harry stopped talking when a flash of fiery red hair out side the window caught his eye. "It's just I think you left it out on the grounds. I'll go check," said Harry.  
  
Ron didn't say anything but waved his hand in a gesture towards the door. Harry grabbed his cloak and tore out of it.  
  
What was Ginny doing outside? It was freezing! He had never remembered October being this cold. Was something wrong?  
  
* * *  
  
"This diary is getting really old. I need a new one. I just hope the next one I get isn't cursed. Of course that hasn't happened to me for a while now, and what are the chances of it happening AGAIN? You've been good to me, trusty diary. Through good times and bad. Even Fred and George couldn't break into you! I'll have to thank Hermione for putting that spell on you. Times have changed, haven't they? I've used hundreds of quills on you, breaking one after another. I guess I write too much about Harry sometimes. I just need to let my feelings out somehow. I need to vent. And That is why I love to write. God, I don't even love to WRITE as much as I love Harry! He's been good to me; sitting with me at night and helping me with hexes. He's really smart, you know. And a bloody good flyer, too! I just wish he would think of me as more than a friend, more than a sister (God, it sounds so sick). He's closer than family to my brother! What if I wasn't Ron's sister? Maybe then It would be possible for him to love-"  
  
Ginny jumped and slammed her diary shut as a hand touched her shoulder.  
  
Had Harry seen what he thought he saw? He had distinctly read the word "Harry" in Ginny's diary.  
  
"How did you know I was here?" Ginny asked. She was a bit disappointed that someone had found her spot. She usually sat by or under the small shelter the smooth stones made to read or write or just think.  
  
But her mood quickly changed from disappointed to flattered- Harry had gone looking for her.  
  
"I was just wondering what you were doing on the grounds. I saw you in the window and I just thought you might be hurt or something," Harry said.  
  
He noticed Ginny didn't have a cloak.  
  
"Where's your cloak, Ginny?" asked Harry.  
  
Ginny shivered from a mixture of cold and embarrassment.  
  
"Well-um-We went to Diagon Alley this year and mum only had enough money to- " Ginny trailed off, looking at the hard ground.  
  
Immediately and without thinking, he took off his own black cloak and draped it around Ginny.  
  
She looked into his vivid green eyes with adoration.  
  
"Th-Thank you, Harry," Ginny said gratefully. She smiled at him. The hairs n the back of his neck pricked up again; he had a strange feeling it wasn't from the cold.  
  
But this time, that was not the only thing that happened. His smothach gave a lurch he had only felt one other time in his life, and that was in his third year when he developed a crush on Cho Chang on the Quidditch field.  
  
Harry's crush had begun to fade in his fifth year and eventually he forgot about her after she graduated.  
  
He had never given her a second thought until now.  
  
Harry suddenly realized that he was just standing there, not saying a word. I must look really stupid, He thought.  
  
SAY SOMETHING, STUPID! Harry told himself. ANYTHING! DON'T JUST STAND THERE!  
  
"bitcoldout," Harry blurted. OH, NICE GOING! REALLY SMOOTH! Harry scolded.  
  
"What?" asked Ginny, confused. Harry took a deep breath.  
  
"It's a bit could out, isn't it?" he said clearly.  
  
"Yes, I suppose so," Ginny said.  
  
WAS THAT SO HARD? Harry asked himself.  
  
"Do you want to go inside?" he asked her.  
  
"Sure. There's nothing to do out here anyway that doesn't involve freezing to death," joked Ginny.  
  
They walked to the main entrance and Harry held the door open for Ginny. They caught each other's stare and Harry drowned in her blue eyes.  
  
He was sure his looked dull and dim compared to her electric ones. She smiled at him again, and his head spun a bit.  
  
"Thank you, Harry. You're really sweet," Ginny said. She acted as if to kiss his cheek but thought better of it and handed him his cloak instead.  
  
For reasons unknown to him, he leaned awkwardly into her.  
  
He caught himself.  
  
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! THIS IS GINNY, GINNY WEASLY! HELLO! JUST PUT YOUR HEART BACK IN YOU CHEST AND LET HER BE! Harry screamed inside his brain. SHE'S YOU'RE FRIEND, NOT YOUR LOVE.  
  
He shook himself out of his trance, but he couldn't help getting once last glance at her before she rounded the corner and left him in the hallway with his cloak in his arms. 


	12. identicle dreams, chapter 12

Author's note- Okay, I've decided that I'm going to quit writing this story. GOT YA! Ha, I couldn't stop writing this if I wanted to! Prepare for long chapter after long chapter after long chapter after- Right, that's enough of that. JUST READ!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ginny was surrounded by wisps of white fog in every direction. Where was she? She looked around, twisted her head to look behind her.  
  
She turned around again, and out of the white was a girl. It was the ghost girl, only she wasn't a ghost.  
  
She was alive. The girl walked over to her and smiled.  
  
She was about as tall as Ginny with the same hair as before, only now it was colored dirty blond.  
  
Her delicate facial lines were a shade of peaches and cream and her cheeks were rosy.  
  
Her lacy dress was no longer dirty or torn but looked like it was well cared for and would never fade from its shade of light blue.  
  
"Hello, Ginny," said the girl.  
  
"Who are you?" Ginny asked. She had a strange feeling about this girl; like she couldn't trust her but she was the most trustworthy person on earth.  
  
The girl laughed softly. "You'll find out soon enough."  
  
"what do you mean?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Don't worry. You will know who I am. I am here to say thank you," said the Girl.  
  
"For what?" said Ginny.  
  
"For setting me free." The girl walked back into the mist. "Tell Harry I miss him," she said from far away, Ginny calling after her.  
  
Ginny woke with freezing sweat running down her forehead. She felt as if she had just walked through an icy shower- she felt the symptoms of touching a ghost.  
  
Had the ghost been here? Had she been hovering over Ginny only a few moments ago?  
  
But she forgot about the ghost and suddenly felt a grueling need to talk to Harry.  
  
The girl obviously knew him, and maybe he could speculate why.  
  
She crept out of her dormitory and walked down the common room hall- straight for the boy's rooms.  
  
* * *  
  
"I'll find you," said the brown haired boy standing in the whist mist in front of Harry.  
  
"What?" asked Harry.  
  
"I hate you. I can't stand to look at you, you know. It's horrible for me now," said the boy menacingly.  
  
Harry said nothing. He was beginning to feel deep distrust and dislike towards this boy.  
  
Despite his despising this boy, however, Harry noticed an unusually deep cut in his neck. It looked so deep, in fact, that it had punctured his jugular vain.  
  
"I miss her. I miss her so much," said the boy reflectively, his eyes far off and the hatred leaking from is voice to be replaced with grief.  
  
But it quickly returned when he looked at Harry. He turned on his heel and walked into the mist.  
  
"I get Ginny, too. I'll get her," he said.  
  
Harry woke, sweat shining all over his face. Who had that boy been?  
  
Why did he hate Harry so much?  
  
His thoughts, however, were quickly replaced by ones of Ginny. He was going to hurt her.  
  
He needed to find Ginny- now. She tiptoed out the dormitory door and walked down the hall- straight for the girl's rooms.  
  
BANG! Harry smashed into someone shorter than him.  
  
* * *  
  
BANG! Ginny smashed straight into someone taller than her.  
  
"Harry!" said Ginny, looking up.  
  
"Ginny, are you alright?" asked Harry. His concern began to fade as embarrassment took its place- he had just walked head-on into her.  
  
Had he touched her? He didn't want to think about it.  
  
Ginny began to feel embarrassed. She had just walked straight-on into Harry!  
  
She hoped she hadn't touched anything.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said quite sincerely.  
  
"It was my fault," Harry said.  
  
"Harry, I just had this dream and- there was this girl- I didn't know her name-but she said she knew you and missed you and-" Ginny began to feel quite stupid.  
  
She now realized that she was over reacting.  
  
"I had a dream, too- and there was the guy about my age- I didn't know his name either- Uh- he said- he said he would- GET you," said Harry. He felt very dumb at the moment.  
  
But they both couldn't help but shudder at the similarity between the two dreams. They seemed nearly identical, though Harry's not nearly as delicate.  
  
"I, um- I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then," said Harry.  
  
"Right, then. Well- goodnight, Harry," said Ginny.  
  
The two of them walked into the direction to their dormitories, but as they reached the stairs at the exact same time, they glanced at each other quickly and ran.  
  
What an unusual night. 


	13. Hermione's gifts, chapter 13

Author's note- You know what's weird? Between Middle school, Acting school, creative classes at Purdue University, solving all of my best friend's problems, being lead singer of a rock band (burnt rubber), being in an advanced math class, my crush/best friend making my heart beat out of my chest, and loads of homework, I STILL find time for writing. How DO I do it? Wonders never cease.  
  
  
  
The next morning was Saturday, and everyone slept in a few hours from exhaustion from the extra loads of homework each teacher had assigned.  
  
Tomorrow was the Hogsmeade visit, and Ginny smiled to herself in bed thinking about how her "secret plan" would be perfect.  
  
The only problem was-she grimaced- finding the money for the materials she needed.  
  
By materials, she basically meant new robes and jewelry. She wasn't quite sure if it would work the way she hoped, however.  
  
Looks were just one small detail. She knew quite well that once this was put into action, she would need to come out of her shell completely.  
  
Her friends would surely help her- that is if she HAD any. Most people still thought her evil from her first year.  
  
In fact, she couldn't think of one other sixth year who she could consider a friend.  
  
She gave a shuddering sigh and one small, diamond tear rolled down her left eye.  
  
The only real friends she had were Harry (who thought of her as a little sister, she reminded herself), Hermione, and Ron.  
  
Harry.  
  
The Harry that she had watched play Quidditch spectacularly in the clearing beside her house, urged to take a ride herself.  
  
The Harry that she had ran beside the train in her first year until it left the station just to catch a glimpse of him.  
  
The Harry that took her heart carelessly and broke it over his knee without knowing he did anything wrong.  
  
Yet she still loved him.  
  
Sometimes she had no idea why, she had no idea why she loved him the way she did.  
  
A few seldom moments in her life, she wondered what life would be like if she had a crush on a boy besides Harry; Collin Creevy, for example.  
  
Collin had grown quite handsome the past years, puberty adding muscles to his body as he grew a foot a year.  
  
Collin and Ginny were good friends, and now that she thought about it, she DID have one friend in her year.  
  
But somehow, she knew deep down that he still did not trust her like the others.  
  
Ginny didn't really think of him as the type that she fancied, however. He was just a friend, and always would be.  
  
After a while, her thoughts shifted back to Harry as they had done so many times before. She wondered if he was up yet.  
  
Probably, Ginny thought as she read her clock. Nine. She crawled out of bed and padded to the common room.  
  
She found Ron, Harry and Hermione sitting to the left of the fire in a wide couch.  
  
Ron was polishing his prefect badge, Hermione was pretending to read an upside down book while Ron's elbow constantly bumped into hers, and Harry was watching the two of them with delight.  
  
"Lo, Everyone!" said Ginny cheerfully. "Hello, Gin," said Hermione in a ever-so-slightly squeaky voice as Ron sneezed on his badge, mumbling words under his breath.  
  
"Ron, if you're so incredibly sick, then why don't you just go down to Madam Promfery?" said Ginny.  
  
"You know that woman," Ron said. "She'll probably keep me in the beds for a week."  
  
Harry stifled a laugh. Ron had no idea what he was missing out on; he was still pining over the girl that was in his dormitories that night, and here she was, sitting next to him.  
  
Hermione shot daggers at Harry with a glaring stare. He quieted quickly.  
  
"Shouldn't you be out practicing, Harry?" asked Hermione, finally noticing her book was upside down and turning it over.  
  
"I will soon enough, Hermione. I've got two weeks still," said Harry. Hermione shook her head.  
  
"You ALWAYS wait until the last minute. I swear, if a dementor came by and tried to suck your brains out, you'd tell him to wait until you finished your game of exploding snap," said Hermione.  
  
"No he wouldn't," said Ron. "He would be playing gobstones."  
  
"And how do you know that?" asked Ginny.  
  
"Because that's the only one of his games I haven't broken yet."  
  
* * *  
  
After a hardy breakfast, the four of them walked onto the frosty grounds to enjoy the morning, since there was nothing better to do.  
  
Harry half wanted to tell Ron and Hermione about he and Ginny's hiding place, but thought better of it, whereas Ginny probably would not care much for the idea.  
  
In the end, they decided to go to Hagrid's hut and chat with the good- natured gamekeeper.  
  
As Harry knocked on the door with a frost-bitten hand, Hagrid's old dog Fang leapt at the door, happy to see his owner's friends.  
  
"Back Fang, BACK!" Hagrid roared from the inside of the cabin.  
  
Hagrid opened the door, one hand around fang's huge leather collar. "I was wonderin' when ye'd come ter see me!" Hagrid said merrily. "C'mon in, now. We don't want yeh freezin'!"  
  
He ushered them inside with a trash can sized hand. As they sat at the high round table, a large smile broke out from the half giant's shaggy, graying beard that had once been pitch black.  
  
"Hi, Hagrid!" said Ginny cheerfully.  
  
"Ginny, Yeh've grown so big since last year!" said Hagrid. Ginny blushed.  
  
For the next hour or so, the five occupants of the small shack laughed and reminisced happily. Hagrid had been put through many losses the past years.  
  
His dragon being taken away, his Hippogriff scattering (with an innocent murder convict), being in Azkaban, the wizarding jail for two weeks in Harry's second year, and the death of Madam Maxime.  
  
Madam Maxim and he had been together for the past three years when she died in an exploration to herd together the giants that would fight Voldemort.  
  
He had taken it very hard, of course.  
  
After many goodbyes and one last attempt to give away his crumb cake, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione made their way back to the Gryffindor common room. * * *  
  
"Bored out of my mind," said Ron, poking the coals in the smoldering fire that night.  
  
He was not the only one. Everyone else had gone to bed for the night, eager for the Hogsmeade visit tomorrow.  
  
"Can't wait until tomorrow, though," said Harry, setting his Quidditch book on the three-legged table beside him.  
  
"Did Mcgonnogal assign that paper for Monday or Tuesday?" asked Hermione, frantically scribbling down words on a piece of parchment.  
  
"I think it was Tuesday," Ron said. Hermione set down her quill with relief.  
  
Ginny yawned. "I think I'll go up to bed," she said, rubbing her eyes and heading off towards the girl's corridor. Hermione followed, eager to give her her gift.  
  
Ginny flopped onto her bed, not sure if she should be happy that tomorrow was the visit or devastated that her plan would not work without a new wardrobe.  
  
Her thoughts were broken by a soft know on the door.  
  
"Gin," Hermione whispered. Hermione was the only one she had told about her plan to woo Harry on Sunday. Ginny quietly walked out into the hall and closed the door.  
  
Hermione was hiding something behind her back.  
  
"What do you have?" Ginny asked, quite intrigued.  
  
"Something for tomorrow," said Hermione mischievously.  
  
Ginny heart leapt. "Let's see it, then," she squeaked.  
  
Hermione help up a silky two piece robe. The actual robe was lavender and the halter- top dress beneath it was purple. It gleamed magically in front of Ginny's wide eyes.  
  
"Oh, Hermione!" she squealed, trying not to wake the other girls up. She couldn't think of anything better to say and she cursed herself for it.  
  
"You like it, right?" asked Hermione, shoving the dress into Ginny's hands. The sleek material slided in her hands. Ginny nodded, her voice caught in her throat.  
  
"Good, said Hermione. "Because if you didn't then I couldn't give you this," she said, pulling a necklace with teardrop diamonds flowing down in the shape of an elegant triangle from her robe pocket.  
  
Ginny gasped and took it in her hands as well.  
  
"Now get some rest, You'll need it for all the work I'll be doing with you tomorrow," said Hermione, pushing her back into her dormitory. 


	14. the new Ginny, chapter 14

Author's note- Hello, Everyone! I've got a couple of sonfics out right now. The first one's called Harry's Lady in red (Or just Lady in Red, I'm not quite sure) and the second one is called Drops of Jupiter. They relate to my story a little and the first one is just a more intense scene of the chapter I'm writing right now!  
  
Ginny woke to someone shaking her awake.  
  
"Hmmmm," she grumbled, opening one eye. Hermione was standing over her, shaking her shoulder abruptly.  
  
"Wake up, sleepy head! It's already nine o'clock!" Hermione said cheerfully. "Everyone's already out of my dorm so we'll have it all to ourselves!"  
  
"Hermione, the trip isn't until three!" Ginny moaned.  
  
"First you've got to eat," said Hermione, stuffing some toast in Ginny's mouth forcefully. "Then, We've got to go through the whole book of advanced beauty spells."  
  
Ginny swallowed her food as Hermione threw a huge pink book on the front of the bed. She grabbed onto her legs as though afraid the book would eat them.  
  
"Are you mad? You can't expect me to sit around for six hours while you put spell after spell on me, can you?" Ginny said.  
  
"I can and I will," Said Hermione simply. Ginny sighed.  
  
"Fine, then. I'm desperate."  
  
* * *  
  
When the full makeover was nearing an end, Ginny looked up from her shining pink nails into the mirror. Her face was covered in hardening green goo that Hermione had applied with the tip of her wand half an hour earlier.  
  
"It's supposed to tan your ace and dull your freckles," she had said.  
  
"When do you take this thing off?" Ginny muttered with difficulty; the mask held her face in the same position making it hard to move it.  
  
"In about five minutes," said Hermione, checking the book.  
  
Ginny was beginning to grow anxious- they left for Hogsmeade in fifteen minutes and she wasn't even dressed yet.  
  
"Don't worry, you'll be there in time," said Hermione, reading Ginny's mind. Ginny let out a sigh through her clenched, whitened teeth.  
  
Ridged and sore, Ginny had been sitting upright in the chair for the past six hours, Hermione buzzing around her doing spell after spell and muttering Latin words under her breath.  
  
After a few tense minutes, Hermione checked her watch once again.  
  
"Okay, It's time to take the mask off."  
  
* * *  
  
"What if she's at Hogsmeade?" Ron asked nervously.  
  
He was, like he had so many times before, pining over the lost girl in his dormitory.  
  
"Ron, get a hold of yourself!" said Harry, putting down the magazine he was reading called "Broom Obsessions." "She's not going to be there!" Harry knew for a fact that this was a lie; in fact, Harry would be sitting right next to her.  
  
"I just wish I knew who she was- She must be an angel," Ron said dreamily. Harry snorted. If Ron knew who he was talking about-  
  
Harry was suddenly struck with a malicious idea. Now that Ron's cold was cured (Hermione had finally convinced him to go to the hospital wing), he would have no trouble finding out who the girl was.  
  
"Why don't you just go into the girl's dormitories if you're so desperate?" Harry said. Ron looked at him like he was utterly insane.  
  
"Are you crazy? I can't go in there!" Ron said.  
  
"Well then," Harry said casually. "I guess you'll never know who your true love is then!" That cracked him.  
  
"I- You think I could get away with it? - Well- Maybe-" Ron argued.  
  
"JUST GO!" Harry shouted.  
  
Ron sprinted out the door and up to the girl's dormitory door, his heart beating madly.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ouch!" Ginny squealed as Hermione dug her nails into the side of the mask.  
  
"It'll be over soon," Hermione said. The mask gave way and Ginny scrunched up her face in pain, making the mask crack.  
  
"Don't do that! It'll only make it worse!" Hermione scolded.  
  
But both their thoughts were broken when the door to the dormitory flew open. Instinctively, Hermione wheeled Ginny's chair around to face the wall and covered her head with a towel.  
  
She herself flopped on her bed spread-eagle as Ron bustled over to the first bed in the row as if they weren't even there.  
  
Hermione shook herself from her state of shock. "RON!" She screamed. Ron continued- it looked very much like sniffing- each of the beds. "WHAT IN SATAN'S NAME DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"  
  
Ron answered her, though not discontinuing his sniffing.  
  
"Smelling," he said simply.  
  
The blood rushed from Hermione's face leaving her frail and pale (hey, that rhymes!). Ron had gone down to the hospital.  
  
"For what?" she asked shakily, though she knew quite well already.  
  
"That- angel- that came into my dorm last month," said Ron.  
  
The color reappeared in Hermione's cheeks as she blushed furiously and smiled, flattered at his comment.  
  
"You- You really think I- SHE is an angel?" Hermione asked quietly.  
  
"Well, yeah! What else could she be?" Ron asked.  
  
As Ron neared her bed, the color once again rushed out of Hermione's face. She jumped up and out of her bed, guarding it from Ron. Ginny was utterly bewildered.  
  
"Hermione, I'm pretty sure it wasn't You who was in my dorm- Imagine That! But- just to be sure-" Ron joked. Hermione laughed nervously but did not move.  
  
Hermione thought quickly.  
  
"Oh, Ron- I almost forgot to tell you- I think that Sabrina- You know, the blond haired sixth year?- has the perfume you've been describing." Ron didn't even listen to all that she had to say. He was out the door in a mili-second.  
  
"What was THAT all about?" Ginny asked curiously.  
  
Hermione heaved a great breath.  
  
"Well, You might as well know," Hermione said. She went on to explain the whole story in a short summary- after all, they only had a few minutes before the carriage left for Hogsmeade.  
  
As she finished the story, Ginny broke out into an unstoppable giggle fit. Hermione shot daggered at her with her large , cinnamon-brown eyes.  
  
"It's not funny!" she said, frustrated. Ginny snorted loudly.  
  
"Oh, no! My brother falling in love with a SMELL isn't funny at all! No, No!" Ginny said sarcastically. Hermione glared at her.  
  
"Shut up!" Hermione snapped, ripping the rest of the mask from her face painfully. "Just get ready and I'll meet you down stairs."  
  
Hermione closed the door on her way out of her dormitory, leaving Ginny alone. She looked into the mirror and nearly fainted from surprise.  
  
Was this her? Yes, it was, but the only way she could tell was from her hair, and that was filled with brand new, large streaks of blond and full of waves that gave it large amounts of body. Her face was an intense shade of peaches n' cream, and her freckled were no more. Her smile was bright with surrounded by sparkling pink lips.  
  
Her eyes were outlined with long, dark eyelashes and the color of her eyes had been enhanced at least a hundred times. Her ears were laced with sterling silver, dangling ear pieces that shined in the new sun.  
  
She finally realized how long she had been staring at herself and tore her eyes from the mirror, clothing herself in her new, elegant dress robes and necklace.  
  
* * *  
  
Ron spun his bar side chair around and around like a small child as Hermione beside him with disapproval. He had obviously had a few too many butterbeers.  
  
"The-monkey-goes-QUACK!" Ron said as he spun his chair for every word. He gave a loud belch and stopped spinning abruptly by grabbing onto the bar. He wobbled in his chair for a moment and fell with a great THUMP! To the floor.  
  
Hermione, who's look of disapproval had vanished, was now stifling laughs; both of them knew that butterbeer contained no alcohol but a stupidity serum that made the drinker intoxified, yet still healthy.  
  
Ron's hand waved feebly from the floor.  
  
"Waitress-person-lady-man! More-Hic-beerbutter pleases!"  
  
Madame Rosmerta ignored him. Harry began to wonder if Ginny was coming. They had been waiting for at least an hour and there was no sign of her anywhere.  
  
He picked up his own mug of butterbeer and put it to his mouth.  
  
"Cheers," he said. But the warm liquid never found the inside of Harry's mouth. At that moment, Ginny Weasly stepped into the doorway of the three broomsticks looking utterly magnificent and Harry threw the drink over his shoulder accidentally splattering it all over the table behind him.  
  
He took no notice of the shouting bald man behind him as Ginny walked- no, floated- over to the intoxicated Ron, the smiling Hermione, and the bedazzled Harry.  
  
She smiled brilliantly at Harry. The music stopped playing and every face turned towards Ginny as her flowing voice met their ears.  
  
"Hello, Harry."  
  
A/N- Okay, so this chapter wasn't as long as I wanted it to be, but I'm getting there. 


	15. Hermione's confession, chapter 15

Author's note- REVIEWS, I MUST HAVE REVIEWS! Phew! Now I feel better. Anyway, uh-hm- here's the story then!  
  
Harry faintly noticed the cold sweat pouring down his forehead as he looked at the woman standing in front of him.  
  
"Lo, Ginny," Harry croaked, pulling at the collar of his cloak, though it was below freezing outside.  
  
"Hello sister!" said Ron from the floor. Hermione winked at Ginny knowingly. Ginny smiled again and took a seat beside Harry at the bar.  
  
"I'll have a cherry float, please," she said to Madam Rosmerta.  
  
"Sure thing, Honey," said Madam Rosmerta, walking to the drink dispensers. It was at this time that Ginny felt the need to strike a conversation with Harry.  
  
"Even after six years I never get tired of coming back to Hogsmeade, you know?" said Ginny casually from soft pink lips.  
  
Harry merrily nodded as- for a change- HIS face turned bright red. Madam Rosmerta came back with a foaming red soft drink and slid it over to Ginny behind the bar.  
  
She drank from the small straw as she looked at Harry happily.  
  
"mmm, I love it here," she said taking her mouth off the straw. Harry said nothing for a long time as Ginny sucked the straw and Ron laying on the ground, babbling about flying flobberworms.  
  
Finally, Ginny sipped the last of her drink and Harry watched her stand up from the table. Ginny couldn't quite tell if he not talking any was a good thing or a bad.  
  
She flipped her glistening red hair over her shoulders and rolled down the sleeves of her robes on which Hermione had casted a warming spell.  
  
Harry once again knocked his knees clumsily into the table whilst standing up with an uncontrollable start.  
  
"CanIgowithyouGinnyjustforawalk?" Harry blurted stupidly.  
  
WOW, YOU'RE INCREDIBLY SMOOTH! He told himself. A REAL CHARMER! Ginny laughed a small, beautiful laugh and looked at him with her slightly confused, violently blue eyes.  
  
"I'll go with you," Harry said. Even Ron looked up at his comment, surprised. Ginny fought a horrible red blush as she tried to keep her voice steady.  
  
"Right then, Harry. Let's go then," she said casually.  
  
THIS IS STUPID, Harry thought. SHE'S NOT ACTING HALF OF WHAT YOU ARE. BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE YOU BELONG IN VICTORIAN PAINTINGS, NOW DO YOU?  
  
Without another word, Harry followed her out the door and into the snowy streets. Hermione, who had watched them go with a satisfied smile on her face, now turned her thoughts back to Ron, who still lay stupidly on the floor. Her feelings dissolved quickly.  
  
With a final look of artificial, bitter disgust, she whisked out the closing door with a tinkle from the bells above, a great envy of how Ginny had hooked Harry overwhelming her.  
  
Tears began to pour down her cheeks in streams of how jealous and angry she was deep down. Why did Ginny have all the luck? She'd tried her best to get Ron to notice her, but it never worked and it never would. She just had to accept it.  
  
"I can't!" Hermione yelled at herself, making heads turn. "I love him!" Her own words startled her but she walked steadily forward, determined to reach the awaiting carriages.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry walked along side Ginny, the two discussing happy matters that meant nothing to either of them. Honeydukes getting a new sweet or the Ministry offering job support to the department of Mysteries were a cover.  
  
They walked a long while into a part of Honeydukes Harry had never seen before. This must be where everyone lived. Faces peered out of small cottages wonderingly.  
  
Harry and Ginny waved, and they waved back. But something wasn't right. As Ginny, who, with all of the waving, looked like she was riding on the top of a float, gave a smile to a child playing on a toy broom, she stopped dead in her tracks and gasped at what was in front of her.  
  
* * *  
  
Ron lay on the floor of the Three broomsticks, his mind cloudy. What was wrong with him? Was he just going to let his friend walk out on him like that? No, he decided. No he wouldn't.  
  
He stumbled to his feet and staggered out the door and followed Hermione's tracks. As he saw a blurry speck that was Hermione in the distance, he gave a shaky yell. "Hermione!"  
  
Hermione knew it was him, and she couldn't go further. Her tears freezing in the wind she stood rooted to the spot, not facing him. After a long while and a great deal of falling, Ron reached her.  
  
"You do-NOT- walk-out-on-me!" he slurred.  
  
"Who are you to say that?" Hermione yelled, losing control. "You walk out on me every day, calling me a know-it-all and not seeing me for who I am! You break my heart every day without knowing it and you just don't care! Every day of my life I've dreamed of you, dreamed that one day you'll see I'm a girl and I love you!"  
  
Even as Ron's ears got every other word Hermione was saying, it was enough. He took a shuddering step to her and breathed from his nose. The smell- That wonderful smell that came from such a wonderful girl- it was Hermione.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry followed her gaze to a nearby graveyard a few feet away. And with a great plunge of his heart, Harry saw Mr. And Mrs. Diggory standing in front on an enormous grave, and even from there Harry could see they were grieving horribly.  
  
Cedric. Cedric came back to him. They were grieving about Cedric's death three years ago, and Harry knew it was his fault. All, all of it had been his fault.  
  
They shouldn't have been crying. They shouldn't be blaming it on Voldemort or themselves. They should be blaming it on him. All of his feeling came out with a loud cry and he ran in the other direction.  
  
He didn't care if they saw him. They could kill him for all he cared. He deserved it. He ran until he tripped on a low-laying stone and flew into the foot-thick, creamy white snow.  
  
Ginny ran after him, her small feet falling in the snow. She sat beside him and had the strength to embrace him and make him feel better. He needed this and her own petty embarrassment was nothing now.  
  
They rocked back and forth and Harry felt undying gratitude towards Ginny.  
  
"It's okay," she cooed. "Nothing was your fault. It wasn't your fault." Harry didn't protest and said nothing as the beautiful girl cradled his lovingly.  
  
* * * "It's-it's you," Ron sputtered.  
  
"Yes Ron. It's me," Hermione said softly, the wind catching her words. Ron leaned down from a mixture of love, exhaustion and sleepiness into Hermione. She leaned in, too, and Hermione's heart beat as fast as a mouse's.  
  
Ron was overcome by darkness and passed out on the ground, dead asleep. Hermione pinched her eyes shut tightly as tears streaked down them faster than before. She began to sob loudly as she pulled Ron, with great difficulty, into the nearest carriage. Finally, with Ron's foot dangling clumsily from the side of the door, Hermione climbed in herself and it took off. Harry and Ginny could find their way back to the castle themselves, the lucky twits.  
  
Author's note- Wow, this is TOTALLY depressing, which is really weird considering I just got out of school for the week and I'm totally wired on caffeine and sugar from Halloween. GO CANDY! YOU KEEP US ALIVE! 


	16. The yearbook picture, chapter 16

Author's note- 2 reviews?! I LIVE ON REVIEWS! Oh, and candy of course. If you're reading my story, whether you like it or you hate it, just please post a review so I can see if people are actually reading! God, I sound so picky! This chapter will probably be really depressing and sad, but you will find out some stuff you didn't know before. SO READ!  
  
* * * Mary pulled the lacy curtains around her window up like she did every day when she wasn't at Hogwarts. Lars looked out through his window beside her and they smiled longingly at each other. It didn't matter if they were only eighteen; you knew when you were in love. And they both knew it. She was such a good person; such a humorous, loving angel that it hurt Lars sometimes to look at her, she was so beautiful. "I love you," she mouthed. Even if Lars couldn't read lips, he knew what she was saying. "I love you too." They pressed their hands against the glass, as if hoping to fall through and simply walk out to embrace the other. Mary could if she wanted to, but Lars wouldn't risk it. There was no telling what his father would do. The only time they could really touch each other was at night, when they would meet behind the bushes separating their houses. Lars had concealed the fact that he was a wizard to everyone except Mary, and sometimes when they met in the bushes she would teach him some magic from her schoolbooks. She believed that he could learn how to handle his powers, and she even carved him a wand with a phoenix-feather in the center, which fit him perfectly. He wanted to fly away and be born again in the wizarding world, like a phoenix would do when it rose from it's own smoldering ashes. After many years of lessons from Mary, Lars finally learned to do magic. He wasn't the best at it, but he could do certain spells and charms quite well with the help of Mary guiding him. His thoughts, however, were broken from that happy time when a long, spindly, cold hand grabbed his shoulder. His father. With one last look at Mary's window in which she stood with her red haired, pretty mother, his father nodded icily to Mary's mother in the house beside them. She nodded back and he saw her no more. Lars wished he had his wand, but more than anything he wished he had Mary back. He wished that it could have been Harry rather than her. He yearned for Mary, his old house, and to be back at his perfect little neighborhood of Godric's Hallow once again.  
  
* * *  
  
Hermione ran into the common room as fast as her legs would carry her. Ron could be such a bastard sometimes. She threw herself into the usual armchair and began to sob at the bright fire. The sun was beginning to set and everyone would be coming back soon.  
  
She cried, not just about Ron, but about everything. About Voldemort, about her bitter jealousy of Harry and Ginny, just about everything. And it felt good, so she cried harder. Tears rolled down her cheeks like small waterfalls and dripped down onto her blue blouse.  
  
It wasn't fair. None of it was fair. She wished horribly that there was some way of kissing Ron without his knowing. Just a way to see what it would be like. And then, just like that, she stopped crying and perked her head straight up.  
  
Hang on-there WAS a way! She would have to be sure it would work, but- yes, of course! Why hadn't she thought of it earlier? She needed to go to the library! Hermione ran back out of the common room just as fast as she had run in and sprinted down the hallways, not looking back.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry and Ginny walked slowly along the snow-covered walkway to the carriages, sniffing from the cold and not saying a word. Harry was greatly thankful towards Ginny, but he could think of nothing good to say that wouldn't cause embarrassment.  
  
Even if she was just comforting him, she was a girl (and a beautiful one at that) that had held him against her chest for half an hour. What could he say? He opened his mouth to talk but all that came out was a weird, sort of croaking sound.  
  
Ginny returned it with a small smile and clutched her damp robes tightly as if the warming spell had worn off.  
  
"C-cold?" Harry stuttered, looking at the ground. Ginny went slightly pale and shook her head. Harry pursed his lips, trying not to look at her again, for he knew that if he looked at her, he would most likely see a beautiful girl covered in melted snow, and he couldn't have that thought of Ginny engrained in his head whenever he looked at her again.  
  
She's your best friend's sister! Harry told himself for the millionth time. I know that, he argued. I'm not stupid. But she's so beautif-NO, SHE'S NOT! SHE'S RON'S SISTER! SHE'S GINNY!  
  
"Harry, is something wrong?" Ginny asked quietly, reading his face. Without thinking, he looked up excepting to see the old Ginny but instead finding the red-haired angel again. He quickly looked down at his feet.  
  
"No," he croaked. "It's-It's nothing."  
  
"Well, whatever you say, Harry," said Ginny doubtfully. She gave another small smile that made Harry's stomach turn even when he was looking at her through the corner of his eye and finally, just in time, they reached the carriages and hopped aboard one that didn't have a very strong smell of rum and mold.  
  
* * *  
  
Hermione slammed a huge, rather weathered looking book down on the nearest table (the vulture-like Librarian peering menacingly at her) and began to flip the pages fiercely, nearly tearing them completely off the spine.  
  
Breaking charm, Candle charting, Delirious serum, Evil banishing, Ah! Here it was-the forgetfulness potion.  
  
"Let's see-Give this to the person you want to make forget on a full moon and when the victim falls asleep, he or she will remember nothing after they to the concoction-perfect!" Hermione muttered to herself.  
  
She scribbled down the instructions and ingredients on some scrap paper and brandished triumphantly. Here was the answer, all she would have to do was sneak it into Ron's pumpkin juice on the first full moon-tomorrow, conveniently enough-, sneak him into the astronomy tower, and do her- business. It sounded so mischievous, so rule breaking, so- not her.  
  
As she walked quickly back into the row of books from where she had found the certain encyclopedia she had read from, she noticed a gold and silver, slightly thinned book beside the dictionary of charms. What was it doing there? It looked like someone had carelessly stuffed it into the nearest place they could find.  
  
She set her book down and carefully took out the gold and silver one. On the front was the Hogwarts school symbol and the words: HOGWARTS SCHOOL YEARBOOK, 19 76-83. Interested, Hermione flipped through the pages slowly until she came across a slightly torn page of Gryffindor seventh year girls.  
  
A certain picture caught her eye of a girl with short, dirty blond hair and small cheekbones that stretched to their full extension as she laughed and smiled, waving madly. The slightly untidy script signature at the bottom read: Mary Littele. Favorite quote "Live and Love."  
  
Author's note- OOOOOOOH, HOW MYSTERIOUS! 


	17. Lacewings and jealously, chapter 17

Author's note- I set my story so you can reply anonymously now! Yay! So review, pleases and thank yous! This chapter doesn't have much in it except for bitter jealousy from Harry towards Collin and some Lacewing from a scour beetle, but-read it anyway!  
  
For reasons unknown, Hermione decided that she would keep the yearbook. She stuffed it in her bag and raced out the library door, her footsteps echoing madly causing more dirty looks from Madam Pince.  
  
Most of the ingredients for the potions were in her school stores, but she needed the lacewing of a scour beetle to complete it. Last time she stole from Snape was in her second year, and she had Harry and Ron to help her.  
  
She didn't know how she was going to get it this time. As she walked quickly towards the dungeons with her head down, she accidentally walked into Professor Trelawney, which was quite odd considering that her classroom was in the North tower.  
  
"Professor Trelawney, what are you-," Hermione began, but she cut her short.  
  
"I wanted to see you, ms. Granger. I was just in the Astronomy tower, you see," said Professor Trelawney in a much more down to earth tone that she usually did. "And I saw something that was a great interest to me."  
  
Hermione's stomach dropped. Had she seen what Hermione was going to do tomorrow in a prediction?  
  
"Professor, I-," Hermione began, but she couldn't finish. Professor Trelawney smiled kindly.  
  
"Hermione, do you know what I saw?" Hermione was slightly startled that her Professor had called her by her first name. She shook her head yes and said nothing.  
  
"Now, I also saw farther into the future for you and Mr. Weasly," she said.  
  
"Really, Professor? Could you tell me?" said Hermione excitedly. Professor Trelawney grabbed her hand to quiet her.  
  
"Sometimes, Ms. Granger, we do not need cleverness or magic to see what is right." She took her hand off of Hermione's who had it clenched tight and walked away towards her class. Hermione stared after her for a while. Then, she faintly noticed something crackling in the hand the Professor Trelawney had held.  
  
She opened it and smiled as she looked at a few scoops of lacewing from a scour beetle in her palm.  
  
* * *  
  
"I wonder how muggles work these things," said Ron as he attempted to work a ping-pong paddle that night in the common room.  
  
"Ron, shouldn't you be working on your Astronomy Homework?" said Hermione, going slightly pink.  
  
"I already did it," said Ron absentmindedly, waving at a huge stack of papers in which, as far as Hermione could tell, he had gotten every answer correct.  
  
"Potions?" asked Hermione. Ron once again gestured to the table at another stack of files that he had done, which also looked completely accurate.  
  
"Herbology?" asked Hermione desperately. She needed Ron to go away so she could sneak off to Moaning Myrtle's without Harry (who was working on Transfiguration at a corner table) or his noticing.  
  
"I've got it all done," said Ron.  
  
Hermione was suddenly struck with inspiration; she had completely forgotten about Ron's obsession with the girl in his dormitory, and although it was painful to talk about, it made a good excuse for him to leave her alone.  
  
"Oh, Ron, was that Parvati who just came down the stairs of your dorm?" asked Hermione innocently. That had done it. Ron was out of her sight in half a second. In minute flat, Hermione had raced out the door and down the second floor to Myrtle's bathroom.  
  
* * *  
  
So why don't you just go talk to him? Ginny asked herself exasperatedly. Am I mad? After last night? After all that happened? He's probably just as nervous as you are. But is it good to make the first move?  
  
Oh, Here's an idea! Why don't you stop talking to yourself and just go down there, if you want to so much!  
  
"Right," said Ginny, hopping off her bed and out the door. She walked slowly out of her hallway to the stairs, bumping into none other than Colin Creevy on her way down.  
  
"Hey, Col," said Ginny airily.  
  
"Hey Gin," Colin replied. "What's wrong? You look a little beat," he said, sliding down the railing, Ginny walking after him.  
  
"Oh, It's nothing. Just-boy trouble," Ginny told him.  
  
"Ah. Well, If you didn't notice, I'm kind of a boy," said Collin, raising his muscular arms to his chest. Ginny certainly HAD noticed. In fact, he didn't even look much like a boy anymore, and more like a very handsome man.  
  
"You know, you guys are really stupid," said Ginny matter-of-factly. Colin replied with a pretend look of moral offense.  
  
"We can't help it, we're just morons," he said.  
  
Ginny laughed and pushed him off the railing, feeling a bit like she was cheating on Harry somehow.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry stared at Ginny and Colin over by the stairs, flirting happily like a cute little couple. A cute little couple with Colin and Ginny. HIS Ginny. No, that wasn't true. She wasn't his in any case.  
  
She was free to anyone that wanted her, as long as she wanted them back. Harry would not admit to the bitter jealousy and the overwhelming feeling to kick something that was brewing in his stomach.  
  
Never. He would never admit he liked her. He would never admit she was beautiful and he would never admit that even if she was Ron's sister, she was a woman and Harry was attracted to her. Never. Right?  
  
Author's note- that wasn't very long, but I'm writing this while finishing my homework and I'm quite fond of the way I ended it. 


	18. The kiss that will last forever, chapter...

Author's note- Okay, I've been getting a few requests for more Ron/Hermione action, so that's what I'm going to do. This whole chapter will just be about them, to make my fans happy! Oh, and I changed the setting on it so now you can post replies anonymously. And one other thing, if the girl Mary and the boy Lars are a little confusing right now, that's good because a little more of them will come into play in every part of the story. Cya soon!  
  
* * *  
  
"Mountain Trolls live mostly in the southern areas of the pacific in packs of four or five, traveling long distances and feeding on sheep and cattle in their grazing years," droned Professor Binns in his low monotone voice.  
  
Most of the class was asleep in their chairs, though some still barely awake with their eyes a quarter of the way open. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the center of class, Ron asleep and drooling on his partly-dried ink- filled parchment, Harry with his mind completely elsewhere, his glasses falling down the rim of him nose, and Hermione, most surprisingly, dead asleep on her history of Magic book.  
  
Snores echoed loudly from the back of the room; Professor Binns seemed to take no notice of them and did not cease his talking. The great advantage of being asleep was that it seemed to make time pass faster, and for poor Harry, who had gone to sleep early the night before, sleep was not an issue.  
  
Finally and with anxious looks from the part of the class whom wasn't asleep, the final bell for the day rang and everyone jolted with a start, racing to the door in a hurry to get to lunch. Ron peeled his face from him book to have Harry snicker that her had black letters smeared all over his right cheek.  
  
"I knew I should have waited until tonight to do my homework!" he groaned. He raced out the door, heading towards the boy's bathrooms to scrub his face clean.  
  
"To the great hall, then, I suppose?" Harry said to Hermione. Her heart raced as fast as a mouse's as she remembered the potion but she nodded slowly and gave an artificial yawn. They walked out the door and as they reached the great Hall, she smacked her forehead and groaned.  
  
"I forgot my-um-history book in class!" she said. "I'll have to go back and get it." She turned around and thundered down the halls.  
  
"Should I make you a plate, then?" Harry called after her.  
  
"Yes," she said over her shoulder. "And make Ron one too!"  
  
* * *  
  
Hermione checked twice in each direction to make sure that no one was watching her from around the corner and sneaked quickly into Myrtle's bathroom. Her usual whining cries came from the far stall as she ignored Hermione.  
  
She unlocked her own potion-brewing toilet with her wand and took a small ladle from her bag. In a cauldron over a water-proof fire sitting on the seat, a thick white potion bubbled menacingly.  
  
She dipped her ladle in and scooped out a spoonful, placing it in a small bottle that she had also brought from her bag. Her stomach turned fiercely as she put the fire out and emptied her cauldron into the toilet bowl. She packed the rest of her things magically into her bag and raced out the door as fast as she had come in, excitement overwhelming her.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry poured some pumpkin juice into two wooden goblets, placing them at the other side of the table along with two plates carrying pork chops, mashed potatoes, and Yorkshire Pudding.  
  
"They should be getting back soon," Harry said to himself. And, sure enough, right after he said that Hermione ran to the table, the potion concealed tightly in her right hand, her cheeks pink. She hadn't thought of how she was going to sneak the potion into Ron's juice.  
  
"Where's your book?" Harry asked, noticing she didn't have it under her arm like she usually carried it.  
  
"Oh, I stopped by the tower and put it in my dorm," said Hermione casually, pleased that she had come up with such a good excuse. She suddenly had another stroke of a brilliant idea and came up with a way to sneak the potion to Ron without his noticing. "Look at that Malfoy, sneering over at us like that! Harry, I think he's coming over here!" Said Hermione cleverly.  
  
Harry turned, a grimace on his face, in the direction on the Slytherin table, giving Hermione just enough time to uncork that bottle in her hand and pout the contents into Ron's glass. Harry turned around just as Hermione stuffed the bottle into her pocket.  
  
"I didn't see that scum," said Harry angrily.  
  
"Oh, must have been some other little greasy-haired git," Hermione replied. Harry laughed.  
  
"Wonder when Ron's coming. It can't take THAT long to scrub your face clean," said Harry. In a few moment, of course, Ron burst through the doors, his cheek shiny and pink. Hermione scooted over as far away from him as possible, not wanting him to "smell" her just yet as he sat down next to her, rubbing his cheek.  
  
"Never again am I going to buy permanent ink," said Ron exasperatedly. He chewed through his pork and Mashed potatoes, Hermione watching him intensely. When in God's name would he take a drink?  
  
Finally, after finishing off his Yorkshire pudding, He drank all of the contents of his goblet quickly. Hermione gasped and they both looked at her.  
  
"What's your problem?" Ron asked.  
  
"N-nothing, I just swallowed a big piece of meat is all," Hermione lied. How many times had she done that today? Finally, after she was sure that all of the stars were shining bright and would be clearly visible in the Astronomy Tower, did she begin her plan.  
  
"Ron, I've almost forgotten," Hermione stuttered, trying her best to keep her voice steady. "I think you left your Astronomy book in the Tower."  
  
Ron looked at her, a bit puzzled. "I thought I had it- But, now that you mention in, I did remember going up there yesterday evening," he said, getting up from the table. Hermione was incredibly pleased with herself for planning this out so perfectly; she had most certainly placed him book in the tower last midnight.  
  
She followed him close behind as he walked quickly to the tower. Finally, with Hermione so excited she was dizzy and close to passing out, they reached the Astronomy door and Ron opened it with a few small creaks as the old wood scraped across the tiled floor.  
  
Just as Hermione expected, stars twinkled madly in through opened windows and up through the glass ceiling romantically.  
  
"There it is," said Ron, walking over to a bench where his "accidentally misplaced" book lay. He scooped in up in his arms and turned around with a start, Hermione face to face with him, standing two inches away.  
  
"I got it," said Ron, showing her his Astronomy book. "C'mon, Then. Let's go," he added nervously. Something felt different, Hermione standing in front of him, her brightly brown, curly hair flying in the light breeze.  
  
She stared at him with brightly cinnamon-colored eyes. A small smiled crossed her lips, lighting her whole face up magically.  
  
"I got my book," Ron said again, not looking into her eyes again; he knew what he was feeling, but with Hermione? Could it be, did he-  
  
"Don't worry about that stupid book!" said Hermione exasperatedly, taking it from his shaking hands and heaving it out the nearest window. For a few seconds, you could hear its pages flapping in the breeze but it fell to the floor loudly and a cat screeched comically.  
  
"Hey, that was my-," Ron started.  
  
"Don't worry about the book!" Hermione said. Finally, she leaned in quickly, her heart pounding harder than ever. A half-an-inch away from Ron's lips, she stopped for a moment and pressed her body into his.  
  
Finally, their lips met and molded like clay. Hermione could feel the kiss I her toes; it was just as perfect as she imagined it to be if not more. Ron did not pull, away, to Hermione's great liking, and she could feel his heart thumping in rhythm with her own.  
  
His body was more solid that she expected it to be, but it seemed to be made to fit hers. She pressed harder into him, and in a moment, the kiss ended slowly and reluctantly. Hermione looked into his bright blue eyes and held his robes in her hands.  
  
"Worry about that."  
  
Ron looked at her for a moment before falling to the ground in a dead faint. Hermione sighed.  
  
"Goodnight, Ron." 


	19. Quidditch and Realization, chapter 19

Author's note- WOW! I got over twenty reviews in a day! NOW DAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT! Keep them coming and here's the next chapter!  
  
  
  
Voldemort burst through the doors at the top of the cellar and stood, watching Lars.  
  
"You lived, boy?" he said curiously yet still venomous. Lars merely nodded. For a fleeting second, Lars thought he saw Voldemort's eye show a tiny glimpse of- fear. But he quickly shook it off as imaginary. "Come, then, I have a job for you."  
  
Lars walked slowly up the stairs and into the piercing light (which was still quite dark, considering that this was Voldemort's house) that he hadn't seen in years.  
  
* * *  
  
Ron woke on top of the covers of his bed with a horrible, piercing headache. He pinched his eyes shut. What had happened last night? He remembered that he was in the great hall, and then he took a sip of juice, and-then everything went blurry.  
  
Thanks to Hermione, who had not put enough boomslang of a vampire bat into the potion, Ron could still remember tiny bits and pieces of that night. He remembered going up to the astronomy tower- and Hermione throwing his book out the window-He really needed to get that back, too- And-and- he could see her face beautiful and smiling, her hair flowing in the breeze. He remembered looking into her deep, amber eyes, and- No, he didn't want to remember any farther. No, no, no.  
  
It was almost like he was cheating on the girl who had come into his dormitory long ago with-Hermione. He reached up to pin his badge to his pajamas but his hand it something harder instead. He looked over to see his astronomy book and again fought war against another set of flashbacks.  
  
He picked it up and a note slipped out from under the cover. Unfortunately, it slipped under his bed and laid there unseen.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry sat at the Gryffindor table with Hermione, Ron and Ginny nowhere to be found.  
  
"Wonder when they'll come down," Harry said leaning his head on his shoulder boredly.  
  
"If they don't hurry, they're going to miss Quidditch tryouts," said Hermione stuffing her bag with a book from her pocket.  
  
"Ron really should be up by now. He knows that Quidditch practices are this afternoon, and I imagine he'd be up early just to make sure he wasn't going to miss them. I wonder if something's wrong," Harry said not noticing Hermione paling face.  
  
She wondered if he'd read the note. Looking back on it now, she hoped not. It was a stupid move; Why go and cast a forgetfulness spell on someone and then tell them everything that happened? It was utterly pointless.  
  
Her thoughts were broken, however, when Ginny came from nowhere and sat beside her; directly in front of Harry. She didn't seem to notice this, however, because if she would have she would probably have yelped and ran to the other side of the table.  
  
Harry's mind went back to the previous weekend but he shook it off quickly, sure his face would give everything away; that is, if there WAS anything.  
  
"Uh, Hi Ginny," Harry said, startling her. She fought a blush again, remembering last week and smiled at him politely, and then looking quickly in her very interesting sausages.  
  
Come on girl, pull yourself out of this. You can do it. Harry's you're friend. Just forget about it. Ginny listened to herself and she quickly pulled out of her embarrassment and to her normal self again.  
  
"Hello, Harry. I suppose you'll be trying out for Quidditch captain today," said Ginny happily. There you go. Much better.  
  
"Yeah," Harry mumbled. Ginny gave a small smile as she remembered her surprise for him hat even her brother might not expect.  
  
* * *  
  
The boy's locker room was crowded on account of all the boys trying out that day. Harry could hardly make it to his broom without getting knocked over by a rowdy second year. He finally reached his Firebolt and flew it out the doors and onto the field.  
  
It was full of gold and scarlet robes Gryffindors, most of whom Harry had never seen before. A few faces he recognized, however; including Ginny's. Harry allowed his jaw to drop as he looked at her, holding a nimbus 2001 that she had won in a raffle last year at the end of the year banquet.  
  
She too was wearing tryout robes, and silver letters on the front read CHASER. She had her head turned, talking to a girl beside her that seemed to be in her year.  
  
She stopped, however, when the girl gave on look at him and fainted.  
  
"Ginny," Harry said, astonished. She turned her head to face him, her tick red hair catching in the wind. She smiled at him and his heart pounded.  
  
"Lo, Harry!" Ginny said happily. Harry could only stare at her with a impressed smile on his face.  
  
"You're trying out?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah! I practiced all summer," Ginny said proudly. Harry was about to say something else when Madam Hooch blew her whistle shrilly and began to push everyone in a single file line, handing them all a ball that suited their places. Harry was handed a snitch to practice with, beings as he was the seeker.  
  
Harry, Dean, and Seameus would have to try the hardest beings as they were to try out for captain and needed extra strength and capability. Harry felt a jolt in his stomach as Ginny's hand brushed his.  
  
She smiled at him one last time and Madam Hooch blew her whistle again. They were off in a whirl of color as a hundred students began to play a giant game of Quidditch. This was going to be interesting.  
  
* * *  
  
"Go, Harry!" Hermione screamed, though she couldn't help but worry; Ron wasn't there yet. A few exciting and tense minutes passed before he showed up panting and red faced.  
  
"Last-Minute-Studying-Forgot-Quidditch!" Ron panted, flopping down beside Hermione. Her head spun as the true intensity of Ron an inch away from her filled her head.  
  
Ron's breath began to slow again and he cheered Harry on. But something felt odd. Very odd. Something sitting next to him. Something that was Hermione. He tore his eyes away from the game and looked at her. She watched Harry deeply, giving a holler here and there; she WAS pretty.  
  
Her brown, curly hair was blown back by the wind. She let out a sigh and without warning looked over to him and Ron fond them staring at each other. He felt- weird. He felt- a warming sensation in his chest and that was when he realized it.  
  
It was Hermione. 


	20. a clearer view, chapter 20

Author's note- I'm going to try something new in this chapter-combining Quidditch with ga-ga love. I hope it works!  
  
Lars saw the grounds in an ominous red glow from his owl eyes. So, THIS was the school that his Mary had gone to. It was as perfect as she said it was. He flew over the lake that she had described to him in a letter during her first year and to the Quidditch pitch a few yards away.  
  
* * *  
  
Even though Harry was doing quite well at catching the snitch and then letting it go free again-for every time you caught the snitch, you got a point- he couldn't help but watch Ginny. She wasn't hard to miss as her red hair flew behind her.  
  
He was even keeping score of how many times she threw the quaffle into the goal hoop- thirty six- wait, no, thirty seven- Harry marveled as she flew directly into the hoop and did a loop around the top to celebrate hitting forty.  
  
She caught him staring at her from across the field and waved happily. Harry waved back wildly, almost losing his grip on the broom. Ginny's quaffle seemed to fly right back to her as she scored another perfect goal.  
  
* * *  
  
Hermione had gone back to staring at the fields, not noticing Ron still staring at her. That smell- she was the one. His senses were fogged; all except for smell. Hermione seemed to be the only thing present in the noon sun. Everything else was gone.  
  
Ron drew in a sort of croaking gasp that made Hermione turn towards him again, her eyes shining.  
  
"Everything all right?" she asked questioningly. So caring. So loveable. She was beautiful. Ron nodded tensely. Everything he was feeling right now was alien to him, but somehow he knew that they were right. This was supposed to happen.  
  
He couldn't see how he had been so blind all these years; Hermione was an angel in disguise. He could almost see a halo above her head, wings attached to her shoulder blades, and her hair floating in some magical wind radiantly.  
  
"Go Harry!" she shouted. She gave a sigh as he scored twice more. Then it seemed that something hit her. "Ron, why didn't you try out? You might have made it," she said.  
  
Ron said nothing and stared at her. Was she talking? Her lips- pink, full and made for giving smiles- seemed to be moving.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione said. Everything came back to him in a whirl and he answered her question; at least he thought, he only seemed to be about half there.  
  
"I decided to study more," was all he could manage. Hermione smiled at him proudly.  
  
"I always knew I'd get to you."  
  
"You have no idea."  
  
"What?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You said You have no idea."  
  
"I did?"  
  
"Yes, you did."  
  
"I- wait, what?"  
  
"Ron, You're stuttering."  
  
"I- I am?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"It's-it's okay, you don't have to say you're-,"  
  
"I love you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Hermione couldn't believe her ears. Did Ron just say he loved her? It was too good to be true. And then she remembered- the smell. Flowers, Honey and pine sap.  
  
Ron came back to his senses quickly.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry Hermione, I-I just couldn't stop thinking of you-dreaming of you- looking at you-Ah-," he said. Obviously he had not completely come to his senses.  
  
Hermione, despite herself, despite Ron, and despite the situation, giggled. Oh no- she was having a stupid giggle fit. She started to laugh harder than ever, tears crowding her eyes. Ron looked at her for a moment, gave a snort, and began to laugh too.  
  
Together and without noticing the disgruntled crowd of Gryffindors sitting in their box, they laughed madly and without stopping. And, when Hermione thought she could stop, she just kept on laughing- and laughing, and laughing.  
  
Then, Ron stopped. Just like that. And Hermione quieted with him.  
  
"I wasn't joking," he said seriously.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh," Hermione managed to say in trembling squeak of a voice. "Ron, I-," she couldn't bring herself to finish. She didn't know what to say. Her heart pounded so rapidly she thought the whole stadium would hear it.  
  
Her stomach jumped in and out of her throat and a hot sweat broke out on her forehead. It was happening- it was really happening. Hermione had dreamt of this moment night and day, playing it over and over in her mind. But now that it was happening, all her plans were erased from her mind.  
  
The game that was going on fifty feet below her seemed like a game of marbles played by small children- it meant nothing. Without a word, both of them stood up on legs made of water, climbed down the stairs of their box and ran to the castle as fast as their jelly-legs would carry them.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry gave a silent laugh as he saw Ron and Hermione sprint up the castle hill- obviously that was settled- Finally!  
  
As he caught his snitch again and again, He glanced at Ginny for every time she made a basket- which was quite often, indeed. The game seemed to be going quite well- Harry, with seventy three points, Ginny with seventy- and it looked like the future was bright for both of them.  
  
As Harry caught the snitch with two fingers easily, however, things took a horrible turn. Harry knew that once again he was staring death in the eye as Ginny's broom gave a lurch on it's own and sped straight for the whomping willow spontaneously a hundred feet in the air, with Ginny still attached. 


	21. the Rememberance, chapter 21

Author's note- Okay, as much as I want everyone to read my story, this chapter will be- hm- well, Ron and Hermione just snuck off to the Gryffindor tower alone, and it's deserted. And this story's rated PG13. And they're kissing. And- well- You get it? So this may not be appropriate for younger readers. Toodles!  
  
"Hermione, are you- sure?" Ron asked nervously as they sat on his bed. Hermione didn't hesitate.  
  
"I'm sure." Ron could see all of the emotions she had felt for seven years pouring out of her intense, cinnamon brown eyes. All of the years of concealed love were finally coming true. She wondered if this was some sort of coma dream muggles got when they were unconscious for long periods of time.  
  
It was too good to be true. To Ron, this was like not eating for weeks and then being shown an enormous feast with every food you could think of. He had been blind and then blessed by God- he had seen Hermione.  
  
Of course he loved her. He always had. Ever since he was the little boy with dirt on his nose on the Hogwarts express over his first year.  
  
Ever since the Yule Ball when Hermione was more radiant and dazzling than ever and it had hurt Ron to look at her for too long- she was almost too beautiful.  
  
Ever since their sixth year when Hermione broke up the long term relationship with Viktor Krum; and now he could see why. Him. It had always been him.  
  
Ron gently wrapped his arms underneath her in a soft embrace as they kissed a long and meaningful kiss, falling back onto the pillows.  
  
* * *  
  
Ginny was gaining speed quickly and no one seemed to take notice of the black owl swooping around the whomping willow menacingly. It's red eyes were concentrating hard on Ginny's broomstick, its beak clenched.  
  
Harry urged his Firebolt to fly faster, but it was no use. Something else was pulling Ginny's broom and it was too strong. He didn't know what to do. Harry couldn't just let Ginny fly into the tree; it was a death sentence.  
  
A mixture of anxiety and exploding hatred towards whoever- or whatever- was doing this to Ginny built inside him quickly. He began to shake with rage and he tried again to urge his broom forward.  
  
He managed to see the owl from the other side of the tree, but it was no owl. He knew it. For a flashing, fleeting second, the owl was no more and the boy from his dreams stood in the air, smiling venomously at him. He was killing Ginny.  
  
The owl transformed back into "itself" again. Ginny was ten feet away from the tree, Harry's anger grew- eight feet, it grew still- five feet- Harry could no longer bear it and he gave a piercing, low scream so loud it shook the immensely strong branches of the tree in front of Ginny.  
  
He held out a red-with-furry hand and a gust of purplish air pushed Ginny from the path of the tree. Quickly, Harry's anger subsided and Ginny wobbled unconscious on her broom, which was now heading straight off course and towards the lake.  
  
He gave one last look at the owl before it disappeared and he raced after Ginny.  
  
* * *  
  
He pulled up along side Ginny right before she fell off the wooden handle. Her eyes slinted just partly open and she mouth one word soundlessly to him- "help."  
  
He kept trying to grab hold of her robes but again and again he missed them by centimeters. Her shoulder length hair flapped helplessly in the wind. Some students from the field were running over to the lake, but Harry took no notice of them.  
  
There seemed to be no way to grasp her robes, and then he saw it- the golden rope along her chest that laced the robe. It was just long enough for Harry to grab and in two attempts he caught her just above the surface of the water.  
  
Cheers broke out along the shoreline, but the trouble was not over yet. The old vision of white fog clouded his eyes and whispered subsided him. Dementors. The Dementors were back somewhere.  
  
The same screams echoed in his brain for some time until they quieted and a new voice appeared in his ears. It seemed to be a girl, younger than his mother but older than himself.  
  
"No, Please, not Harry! He's a baby! Kill me! Please! Do anything, just don't kill him! I'm begging you, please don't kill my brother!" screaming cries pierced his brain for a few moments before silence and Harry saw nor heard no more.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry opened his eyes excepting to see the hospital wing. Water rushed past his eyes and a few small bubbled came from his nose. His glasses were still just barely hanging onto his face. He was going to die.  
  
His wet hair floated lazily and he oddly enjoyed the peacefulness on the silent under the water. He felt a hand grab his. He faintly saw a glimpse of fiery red hair through the corner of his eye before he began to be pulled to the surface.  
  
It was a slow process. He needed air quickly, and so did Ginny. Harry wondered vaguely is she was alright. He began to feel dizzy and faint. The light from the sun was just feet away and finally he burst into the air, taking short breaths.  
  
His lungs were full of water and he knew he wasn't all the way out of the clearing yet. Ginny doggy-paddled to the muddy shore and pushed on his chest rhythmically. She laid her sopping head on his heart, checking for a pulse.  
  
Obviously, he didn't have one because the next thing she did was plug his nose and blow air into his throat. She repeated the process five times before Harry coughed out a gallon of water and began to wheeze.  
  
He could hear nothing and took no notice of the loud talking around him. Ginny said nothing but stared at him, relieved that he had lived. The only think Harry managed to say was simple but it would change his life forever.  
  
"I had a sister." 


	22. between Dragons and Flobberworms, chapte...

Author's note- I have my own website (finally) dedicated to Harry Potter! Whee! It's just so far fanfics, but I'll add more on soon. You can check it out at http://www.angelfire.com/hi5/taylor0/hpchronicles.html  
  
As it had turned out, Dementors had found the secret passageway from Honeydukes to the school the day of the Quidditch tryouts and had gone under the lake, searching for children to suck life out of.  
  
Harry shivered by the warm fire as he thought of their hooded cloaks and long, moldy hands. He tightened his grip around the couch. Ginny had gone upstairs, to frightened to stay in the common room.  
  
But, Harry's fear began to subside and was replaced gradually by frustration. He planned on not even bothering to go to the great hall tomorrow to look at the listings of who had made it on the team.  
  
Suddenly, Harry heard someone thumping down the stairs from the boy's dorms. He looked up to see none other than HERMIONE padding down them, a small smile on her face. Harry gave a kind of yelp in astonishment, making her jump.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione screamed. Harry could merely stare at her for a few moments, his mouth wide and gaping like a dementor's.  
  
"You-You-and Ron-YOU SNOGGED!" Harry sputtered. Hermione held out her hands as if she were trying to stop him from attacking her, but she did not protest his remark.  
  
"Harry, That's all-I swear! We were going to- But then- WE DIDN'T!" she squeaked quite sincerely. It was true that they had done nothing and decided to wait for a better time.  
  
"and you expect me to believe that? And, Oh, look! There goes a flying pig that has just returned with magical cheese from the land of Garfunkle!" Harry exclaimed sarcastically, pointing at the air behind Hermione's head.  
  
Hermione's eyes began to tear.  
  
"Harry, please stop! I'm telling the truth!" she said. Even He had no idea why he was being such a git, but he was and he knew that he couldn't go back in time and change what he said no matter how hard he tried.  
  
For a few moments, the only sound in the room was Hermione's quite sobs, and Harry's anger began to etch slowly away as he thought of Hermione's feelings and how Ron would react when he told him about Ginny- Wait, no there was nothing to tell. Right. That was good. Nothing to tell.  
  
He threw his thoughts of Ginny out of his brain and thought instead of Ron and Hermione finally being together. But, he hadn't completely stopped thinking about her. In the back of his brain, a thought was lingering that had been there for a few months now; Could it happen?  
  
Unfortunately, the thought was pushed so far into his mind that he didn't seem to notice it. A smile broke onto his face and he let out a sigh. He threw his hands in the air melodramatically and Hermione giggled, wiping away the last of her tears.  
  
"Finally!" he said exasperatedly.  
  
* * *  
  
The next Morning at breakfast, Ginny rushed behind Harry and grabbed his shoulder, making him spit out his half-chewed bacon onto his plate.  
  
"Quidditch posts!" she said before yanking him up and steering him over to a white paper on the wall by which most of the Gryffindors were crowding around, some running off crying and some waving fists in the air triumphantly.  
  
Harry really didn't want to see that his name wasn't on the paper, but he allowed Ginny to steer him anyway. They finally pushed through the mob of people harnessing red and gold ties around their necks and Ginny took her pointer finger, scanning the list quickly.  
  
"Warren, Wasling, Warendoogle- Warendoogle? I'd hate to be him-Weasley! I made it, Harry!" she exclaimed with ecstasy.  
  
"That's great," Harry muttered, turning towards the table, trying not to be noticed by Ginny, who was now searching through the P's for him.  
  
"Pensten, Pootalgooble-God, Gryffindors have weird last names- POTTER! HARRY POTTER!" Ginny shouted. Harry couldn't believe it. He'd made it! He was the new Quidditch captain!  
  
"I made it!" Harry said.  
  
"I know!" Ginny replied. Harry let out a laugh and took her writs as they danced around in circles like idiots for a few moments. And then, Harry did something quite embarrassing without thinking and with the whole student body- including Ron- watching.  
  
Harry Potter kissed Ginny Weasly.  
  
* * *  
  
Everyone sat, gaping at Harry, Ron with the most dumbfounded look of them all. Harry noticed with horror that he still had his hands around Ginny's arms; she was staring at him, expressionless. He let go of her quickly, sure that his face would explode at any moment from heat.  
  
He turned around and saw that everyone was watching him. It was like someone had pressed the mute button on the entire Great Hall, and Harry could only hear his heavy breathing. He wouldn't be surprised if a cricket began to chirp like in those muggle cartoons.  
  
He didn't mean to kiss her; it had just been out of happiness-Right? Yes, Right. It wasn't long, but a quick kiss on her soft, pink lips had been more than enough to make everyone stare at him in astonishment.  
  
And then, as if someone turned to power back on in his mind, his legs took off and he tore out of the Great Hall in a blur.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry found the nearest wall on the outside room of the Great Hall's entrance and began to smack his head against it, much like Dobby the house elf used to do before Harry had cleverly released him from The Malfoys.  
  
His forehead began to throb and he half-wished that Hermione (NOT Ron or Ginny, in the least- Ron would probably beat his face in and he was to embarrassed to talk to Ginny) would come out and stop him.  
  
He was really quite glad that she was still his friend; obviously Ron wasn't and Ginny- there was no telling what was going to happen with her. And, as if to read him mind, Hermione burst through the doors beside him (inside, everyone was still silent) and grabbed his head in her hands.  
  
His breathing heavy, Harry closed his eyes and felt icy sweat beneath the lids.  
  
"WHAT was that all about?" Hermione asked him incredulously.  
  
Harry gave a sigh and let his body fall against the wall limply, his feet falling at odd angles from one another in his black school shoes.  
  
"I have no idea," he muttered.  
  
"Well you'd better GET an idea, because Ron's going ballistic in there. His face looks like a cherry, only his teeth are bared," Hermione said to him.  
  
"I kissed her," Harry informed her.  
  
"I know," she said. "I was kind of watching, along with all the rest of the school."  
  
"And I liked it," Harry added. There was a long silence for about two minutes before Hermione spoke up again, quieter than last time.  
  
"Now THAT I did not know."  
  
* * *  
  
Ron wasn't talking to him. He could sense Hermione was feeling differently towards him, too. Ginny wasn't talking to him. In fact, the only people that were even paying attention to him were Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who would do rude impressions of him snogging Ginny when he came into the Hall for breakfast.  
  
Harry was certain that if he didn't feel so miserable, he would beat his ugly face to a pulp in a second.  
  
He fest horrible about leaving Gin all by herself in the Hall, and he wanted to make it up to her; which was hard, considering he couldn't get within five feet of her without feeling nauseous.  
  
A week went by without anyone beside him except to occasional Hermione, and Harry knew that this was the end of his friendship with Ron.  
  
Nothing had gone right today; so far, he had dropped his books, upturned his ink bottle, knocked his potions cauldron over, and accidentally sent Dean Thomas's into a lizard in charms class.  
  
And then, as he was studying in the library, she walked in without noticing him. Ginny opened to door quietly and walked swiftly over to the table in front of him taking no notice of Harry as she sat her bag down and went to the nearest shelf.  
  
Harry knew he had to do something, so he ignored the feeling in the pit of his stomach which mad him want to vomit and walked soundlessly over to her isle, which was, conveniently enough, so long and tall that no one could hear their conversation.  
  
He tapped her on the shoulder with a shaking hand and she turned abruptly, a large book labeled " Dragons and their medieval keepers" in her hands.  
  
"H-Harry," she whispered. Harry could merely nod, afraid that if he opened his mouth his would splatter his lunch all over her. "Hi," was all she could manage to say.  
  
Finally, after an awkward moments of quietness, Harry slowly opened his mouth, happy that nothing in liquid form had spilled out.  
  
"I'm Sorry," was all he could say before closing his lips again. Ginny looked at him with her electric blue eyes that size of dish saucers and merely nodded.  
  
"You-You were just excited, right?" Ginny asked. Harry nodded vigorously. For a fleeting second, Harry thought he saw a disappointed from on her face, but it was quickly replaced with a small smile.  
  
She looked down at the floor for a moment before taking a step towards him so their faces were an inch away. Harry stopped breathing; she smelled of roses and oranges.  
  
"Good bye, Harry Potter," she whispered in his ear before turning towards the door and leaving Harry in between the sections of books about Dragons and Flobberworms. 


	23. The mystery of Mary Littele, chapter 23

Author's note- I was really expecting more reviews for that chapter. Oh well. Did you guys check out my website? I know, I know, it's really lame right now, but I'm going to add some pictures in a week or so. Anyway, for all you Draco lovers out there, you'll be seeing a lot more of him in the upcoming Quidditch chapters. And now that Ron and Hermione are together, I can work on Ginny and Harry. Don't worry though, because Roneekins and Hermy are going to go through break-ups, snogging, rumors, snogging, crying, snogging, and-well, you get the idea. **Toodles**  
  
Harry sat by the fire the next morning, watching the flames rise and fall. Ron and Hermione were sitting on the cozy little love seat next to him, whispering in each other's ears and occasionally snogging. Harry tried to take no notice of them.  
  
Ron pulled Hermione's hair over one of her shoulders affectionately. They made the perfect bloody couple, Harry thought bitterly. Love blew. He had not seen any sign of Ginny since last evening in the library.  
  
Harry didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing; On one hand, Harry missed her terribly- he told himself that this was because he was missing his "friend"-On the other hand, however, Harry was to mortified about everything that had gone on in the past week that he didn't think he could stand to see her face again, even if it WAS violently pretty -NO, IT MOST CERTAINLY WAS NOT VIOLENTLY PRETTY! SHE IS NOT PRETTY! YOU DO NOT LIKE HER!  
  
Harry fumed into the blazing red fury in the fireplace and let out a frustrated sigh through his nose as Hermione gave a little giggle from beside him.  
  
* * *  
  
It was horrid. Ginny could see every moment of Harry's parents end of their lives. The only thing she couldn't see (thank God) Was Voldemort himself. It was as if he were a mere shadow; but she knew better.  
  
"Lily! Take Harry and Run! I'll try to fight him off!" James yelled. She heard a baby crying and someone running frantically up the stairs to her left. Voldemort gave a gruesome laugh before a bright green light shot out of his wand and hit James.  
  
When the light died away, she saw his body laying lifeless on the floor. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't she followed the figure that was Voldemort up the stairs and into a locked room, with he used his wand to undo.  
  
She saw the figure of Harry's red haired mother holding him.  
  
"No! Please! Have mercy! Have mercy! He's a baby! Take me instead!" she pleaded.  
  
"Stand aside, you silly girl-," Voldemort began.  
  
"No! Please!" There was another flash of bright green light and Lily's body lay unmoving as well. Ginny didn't want to see anymore. She wanted to run out of the house. She wanted to go blind. But she did not.  
  
Harry sat there, staring at Voldemort, but a sound from the opposite door made him turn. A girl at the age of eighteen with Dirty-blonde hair just below her ears wearing a lacy dress ran in front of Harry, her face colorless and tears bleeding from her eyes.  
  
"Don't take him! Take me!" she yelled, sobbing.  
  
"Stand aside, Marry, you stupid little brat! My son should have never mixed with you, you filthy bitch!" he wolfed. She sobbed harder, ignoring him.  
  
"Don't hurt Harry! Don't hurt my brother!" she screamed, and a last flash of green light filled the room, leaving Ginny to do nothing but stare at the body of the young woman laying before her.  
  
It felt as if someone was muffling her with a pillow-she could not scream, she could not speak and she could not breath. But, with Voldemort's harsh, unspeakably cruel and evil laughter, Ginny noticed small carving on the foot of the bed in the room that she was in.  
  
Carved just below the springs in the mattress was the name "Mary Littele."  
  
* * *  
  
Ginny thought she woke from her own screams, but as it turned out she was not screaming at all; only making small, helpless squeaks beneath her lips. She started as she saw Colin Creevy standing over her bed, shaking her shoulders and looking concerned.  
  
"Colin! What are you doing in the girl's dormitories?" Ginny whispered harshly. Colin held up his History of Magic book.  
  
"I came in here to get my book you borrowed a week ago," he said. Ginny blushed.  
  
"Oh- sorry. I guess I've just had a lot on my mind and I forgot to give it back to you," she said, rubbing the back of her head embarrassedly. "Then why'd you wake me up?" she asked him.  
  
"Well, for one, you were shaking like mad and muttering stuff, and two, it's nearly ten o'clock," he said to her.  
  
"EEP!" Ginny squealed. "I'm going to be late for potions! Colin, hand me my robes! QUICK! What are you just standing there for?" Ginny yelled at him, aware that there was no one else in the room.  
  
"It's Saturday."  
  
"Oh. Well, that explains a lot," Ginny said. She was a bit perplexed; Collin was shifting uncomfortably in his muggle jeans and tennis shoes and looking away from her, a blush appearing on his face.  
  
"What?" Ginny asked exasperatedly.  
  
"Well-It's just-ah-," he said, blushing even Harder. And Ginny realized with horror why. Underneath the covers that were slipping off her, she wasn't wearing anything. She gasped and her whole face turned bright red.  
  
"Oh, Collin- I'm so sorry- I didn't realize-," she started. Collin held out his hands, careful not to look at her.  
  
"It's-it's fine." He reached over and pulled her nightgown off a nearby chair, tossing it on her bed.  
  
She put it on from under the covers not saying a sound. When Collin saw she had something on, he looked at her with relief.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said again, very interested in her socks.  
  
"It's fine," Collin said. "Just warm me before you go commando again."  
  
* * *  
  
Harry jumped as he heard Collin and Ginny thumping down the stairs a few minutes later. He turned in his sofa, and flushed madly when he saw Ginny. She and Collin were talking about something, and he would have given all the money in his vault at Gringotts to hear what it was.  
  
He never liked Collin, the stupid Git. When Ginny saw him staring at her, despite her embarrassment from yesterday, she smiled at him and waved. Harry's heart jumped. He would just forget the whole thing.  
  
Harry waved back at Ginny and her heart jumped. She would just forget about the whole thing.  
  
Ginny and walked toward Harry and, to his most liking, Collin did not follow and just gave her a final wave, heading out the hall door.  
  
Ginny kept her eyes on Harry as she neared the sofa, and Harry became hypnotized by them. She sat down beside him and curled up contentedly.  
  
"Nice day out, isn't it?" Harry asked her nervously. Ginny nodded. Soft, new November snow fell in a light flurry just outside the window and the grounds looked like a fairy tale.  
  
For a few minutes, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione (who had their arms around each other) talked and laughed as morning turned into noon.  
  
"..And so then, I grabbed him by the head and said "Carly! That's not butterbeer!"," Ginny said. And, right after she finished her sentence, her stomach gave a rude, loud growl. She realized she hadn't eaten breakfast.  
  
"I'm hungry," she announced, and the others nodded in agreement.  
  
"Let's go get some lunch," Harry added, overjoyed that things between he and Ginny were back to normal..or so he thought.  
  
As Ginny got up and took a step toward the door, she accidentally knocked over Hermione's bag, spilling all of the contents on to the floor, the ink skittering underneath a step.  
  
"Aw, Herm, I'm sorry," Ginny said apologetically.  
  
"It's fine," Hermione announced. "I shouldn't have put it their, anyway." Ginny opened her mouth to apologize again but a book shining gold and red a few feet from her hand caught her attention.  
  
Harry noticed it too and picked it up, opening it to a marked page on which Hermione had folded a corner. Ginny looked as Harry flipped to it.  
  
"What's this?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh, it's an old yearbook I found in the library," Hermione said. As he found the paged of seventh year girls that Hermione had marked, Ginny gasped at she saw the figure of the girl in her dreams waving up at her.  
  
Harry noticed that she looked quite familiar, and Ginny seemed to know why.  
  
"Harry, Th-That's your sister!" Underneath the picture of the girl Ginny was referring to was the name Marry Littele printed in scrawl. 


	24. A confusing dress and a damaged box, cha...

Author's note- Sorry I haven't written in a while; I've just been incredibly busy eating and sleeping.  
  
"It-It can't be," Harry breathed, his eyes glued on his now re-discovered sister. "M-My sister?" Ginny nodded. It all came into play as she figured it out in her mind; the ghost girl was Mary, the dream girl was Mary, all of them, they were all Mary Littele.  
  
"No, It can't be," Ron spoke for the first time since Harry was in the room. Harry was quite relieved that Ron seemed to want to forget about him snogging Ginny-he hoped. "Her last name's Littele."  
  
"Adoption," Hermione said. "She could have been adopted by Harry's parents before he was born." Harry moved his hand to grab the book at the same time Ginny did and their hands met fleetingly, both of them pulling away fast. Ron sniffed annoyed out his nose.  
  
Hermione ignored all three of them as she continued to wrack her brain for more theory.  
  
"Littele-Mary Littele- Head Girl of 1978!" Hermione shouted triumphantly. "We should be able to find out all about her in A Prefect's world!"  
  
"Oh, speaking of which, where's my badge?" Ron said, twisting his head to look behind him absentmindedly.  
  
"Ron, NOT NOW!" Ginny yelled at him.  
  
"Fine, fine, Ms. Grouchy puss!" Ron chorused. Ginny shot daggers at him with her eyes. He quieted quickly.  
  
Ginny gently took the book slowly from Harry's shaking hands.  
  
"Do you want me to read it?" she asked him quietly. Harry shook his head.  
  
"Not now," he said. Ginny nodded. How could he have a sister? No one had ever told him of her, he had never even heard her name before.  
  
"I'll go and get the prefects book," Hermione said, standing up and walking out the door, Ron following. He met Harry's stare as he turned to look at him and Harry knew that they were friends again; or at least talking.  
  
* * *  
  
"The first game of the season," Harry began, pacing around the outside hall of the boy's and girl's locker rooms, strongly reminding himself of Oliver Wood, "It NOT to be taken lightly. I don't care if your leg has been completely cut off from you body; Gryffindors are better that to just give up. So- uh- So get out there and fly!"  
  
The crowd of Gryffindors screamed and yelled proudly as they began to run to the front door, and a few cracks could be heard as a spare broom on the far side wall was broken in half by a rowdy second year.  
  
"Mcdougal!" Harry shouted. "Get back here!" The boy didn't listen as he sprinted don the hallway and out through the doors to the hall. Harry sighed and a voice behind him made him jump.  
  
"Ah, the joy of being young and impressionable," Ginny said.  
  
"No, I don't think they're impressionable. Just stupid," Harry replied. Ginny laughed. An awkward silence followed as the two stared off into space, careful not to look at one another's eyes.  
  
Ginny, who thought they ought to be getting onto the field, finally piped up with her more-than-slightly embarrassing request.  
  
"Um-Harry, There's-there's this little tie thingy in the back of my robes that I can't figure out. Could you-er, maybe help me?" she asked, her face reddening brightly. Harry's stomach turned uncomfortably.  
  
"Uh, sure." He walked over to her and she turned so her back faced him. Harry fumbled with the little gold cord as he looped it through the holes in criss-crosses, his palms sweaty.  
  
"There. All you have to do is take the string and lace it through the holes," Harry said shakily.  
  
"Well, that seems easy enough. Thanks, Har-," Ginny turned around to face him and saw him staring at her intently, their faces an inch away. For a long while, they just stood staring at each other until Harry noticed that they were moving instinctively closer together. Ginny closed her eyes. Harry smelled faintly of maple leaves and lemon meringue pie.  
  
Suddenly, the doors at the far end on the corridor opened and light poured into the room. They backed away from each other nervously as the shape of a boy appeared in the door way.  
  
"Hey, what are you guys waiting for!" asked Mcdougal. Harry and Ginny walked out quickly onto the green Quidditch field, not knowing to feel relieved or angry.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry hated playing against Slytherin. They never followed the rules. But, it seemed that their ruthless skills weren't counting over bravery; Gryffindor was up by thirty points; Harry was listening intently to Sarah McMillan's broadcast from the top box.  
  
"Snitch to fast for you, Potty?" Draco sneered as he reared up behind Harry. He urged his Firebolt to go faster. He was distracted, however, by a bludger that whistled straight past his ear. It changed direction quickly and headed back the other way.  
  
Harry knew it was heading straight for Malfoy, and ecstasy fell upon him when He saw Draco's look of terror plastered on his ugly face. But, Harry realized, it wasn't because the bludger was heading towards him.  
  
It was because the bludger had already passed him and, with a loud CRACK, had zoomed straight into the Slytherin's student's box, which was full of Horrified children. Harry raced straight over to the other side of the field and into the hole the bludger had made.  
  
He could hear it whizzing around wildly somewhere in the wooden structure and it finally came at his chest. He caught it and heavily heaved it out of the box. He could hear cheers above him and he let out a sigh of relief.  
  
But, it certainly was not over yet. Harry realized with terror that the box was falling down. A wooden holding beam split in two and three others followed. He could hear drift wood falling around him and clattering to the ground.  
  
He still had time to escape, but instead turned his attention to the last beam, which was already splintering. He raced over to it and took his hands off the broom, placing them with all his might on the beam. He could hear Dumbledore on the field, shouting Wingardium Leviosa over and over again as children, screaming and crying, were lowered to safety.  
  
And. Just as he thought every one of his muscles was pulled to the limit and he couldn't bare to hold the wood any longer, he hear Dumbledore's low, old voice call him to come out. He obeyed and was greeted with all Students, Slytherins counted, lifting him up on their shoulders and cheering madly as if he had won the Quidditch cup.  
  
Finally, with many excuse-me's, the heard of children ran off to the castle.  
  
"Potter!" someone yelled from behind him. He turned around to see an expressionless Malfoy. Harry glared at him with despisement.  
  
"What do YOU want?" he asked. Without the slightest change in expression, Malfoy walked over to him and shoved something feathery and flapping madly into his hand; the snitch. Harry stared at him.  
  
"Good job," Draco muttered as if in great pain. Harry gave a half smile as Draco grinded him teeth. 


	25. Freezing toes, warm kisses, chapter 25

Author's note- Okay, after who knows how many chapters and a LOT of events, this story is nearing an end. There's only going to be 5 more chapters at most, so a LOT'S going to happen and be uncovered. Plus, I'm thinking the chapters will be longer so stick with it!  
  
The next morning in the common room, Ginny trotted down the stairs with her school bag in hand a warming spell (though no one could see it) on her cloths. Harry, who had been staring into the fire with Rona and Hermione for a few minutes, turned too looked at her, a smile spreading across his face.  
  
"Lo, Gin," he said. Ginny waved at him, walking across the hard wood to the door. Harry stared at her blankly. "Where're you going?" Ginny's lips pursed slightly, and Harry, with a jolt in his stomach, looked into her dazzling blue eyes that gave everything away.  
  
Ginny seemed to notice this, however, and quickly darted her vision to the door.  
  
"A walk," she muttered, swiftly opening the door of the room and sliding quietly out it.  
  
"But it's-," Harry began, looking outside into the three feet of pearly snow beyond the window. "Snowing."  
  
Harry could hear a small bang as something hit the door before the door clicked. He walked over to see what it was and to his amazement, it was a diary. He picked it up and turned it over; it looked familiar somehow.  
  
His curiosity getting the better of him, he sheepishly opened to front cover and gasped as he read the writing within. With a gulp and a last look at the fire, Harry realized everything, and now even his conscious was agreeing with him.  
  
He loved her.  
  
But where did she go? Harry felt a sinking in his stomach as he remembered the look on Ginny face. But, wait- She had said "for a walk." For a walk, the grounds, and it all came back to him. She was going to her secret spot beyond the rocks.  
  
Harry bolted out the door without another word to Ron or Hermione, without a cloak, his mind on autopilot. He pushed open the double doors to the ground and didn't feel the freezing air blowing against his face.  
  
Harry flat out sprinted through the snow towards the little red dot in the distance that was walking towards a gray blur of stones. It stopped as if it had seen him, and he ran faster, afraid she might disappear if he didn't get there in time.  
  
Finally, Ginny with an utterly confused look on her face, watched him kneel over from exhaustion before her.  
  
"Harry, are you- are you alright?" she asked concernedly.  
  
"I-You-Me-I-I'm fine," he said trying to catch his breath. Finally, he managed to walk over to her and hold the diary up, feeling quite stupid as he realized that he was in the freezing snow with no shoes on.  
  
"You left the diary in the common room," he muttered, handing it to her. "And I love you," he added. Ginny stared at him wide eyed. And then, without the slightest warning, she took the book from his hands and threw it into the lake, which was a few yards away and she had pretty good aim, Harry thought.  
  
She grabbed him around the waist, pulled him to her, and kissed him. Harry felt his head go numb. He could feel the warmth of the kiss in his toes, even thought they were buried in ice.  
  
He ran his hands through her bright red hair and thought, this can't be real. It's too good. But it wasn't. The kiss lasted a few more seconds, both of them out of breath. Ginny, panting, smiled at him and his heart raced just like it always had, only this time he knew what it was because of.  
  
* * *  
  
That day at noon, Professor Mcgonnogal came into the great hall to ask for the names of children who wanted to stay at the school for Christmas Holidays. Harry and Ginny both raised their hands and she walked over to them, their others secretly entwined beneath the table.  
  
Ron and Hermione also said that it would be good to spend their last year here with Harry, but he knew better. They wanted to be alone with each other, and he knew that a long, cold snowball fight would be out of the question if they were snogging in the dormitories; which, Harry thought, they were going to do for sure.  
  
Harry had to admit, though, Hogwarts WAS remarkably romantic during Christmas break. Who knew, perhaps he would do something spontaneous and tell Ron about Ginny and him. No, it probably wasn't the holiest thing to do to commit suicide on Christmas.  
  
Draco was staying, which seemed remarkably odd to Harry, considering he lived in a huge mansion and was waited on hand and foot every time he went there. And yet, Harry had a strange feeling that it had to do with him.  
  
Apparently, ever since the quidditch match where Harry had saved the Slytherins, Draco had lightened up on the Gryffindors greatly, it was like he was sort of paying a debt that had been long forgotten.  
  
However, a Malfoy was a Malfoy, and he was still a jerk. As Ginny bit into her piece of buttered break, she saw a pale-haired someone slinking over to their table unnoticeably by the other Slytherins.  
  
He stooped to his hands and knees, and if escaping jail, crawled under the table, seating himself between Ron and Hermione, not taking notice of their scowling faces; Ron looked as if he wanted to stab Draco with his table fork.  
  
"I don't see why we have to have a slimy git sitting at out table," said Ron savagely. Draco shot daggers at him.  
  
"Believe me, Weasley," said Draco venomously. "I take no pride in being crushed between the Gryffindor Gits, But Crabbe and Goyle always take all the food and eat off each others plates-It's really sort of freaky- and I would eat in a rat infested camp rather beside them."  
  
"Oh, so you're turning on your own goonies now," said Ginny. Draco looked at her, unscathed.  
  
"Well, I treat them like crap but they follow me around anyway." Despite Herself, Hermione gave a snort. It was true; Draco usually treated them as if they were dogs. Draco continued to stare at Ginny, his expression unreadable. Ginny stared back.  
  
"Your sister, Weasly?" Draco asked. Ron nodded stiffly. "The last time I saw here she was running after Potter." Ginny scowled at him. Draco gave a tiny smile. "She's pretty," he added, and Ginny blushed despite herself.  
  
Harry clenched his grip on her hand, trying not to sock him.  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning when Harry awoke and went into the common room, he saw Ron, Ginny and Hermione sitting on a couch talking animatedly. He sat down beside them.  
  
"I love the first day of holidays," Ginny said to him. They nodded in agreement. Large flakes of fluffy snow fell outside the glass window, making the ground look like a Christmas card.  
  
With a loud SNAP, Hermione closed to book she was reading shut and got off the sofa, walking towards the door, Ron staring after her. She was without a doubt going to the library again.  
  
* * *  
  
Lars flew along the top of the castle, the wind ruffling his feathers. A sensation in the pit of his stomach was telling him that he was going to change back into his human form; that or the spelling was nearly ready.  
  
His head spun out of ecstasy at the thought of getting revenge on Harry Potter; Harry Potter who killed Mary and her parents, Lily and James. Harry, who had made his life miserable for the past eighteen years.  
  
He felt guilty and horrified at the fact that he had disobeyed Voldemort by jinxing the spell; he had, with what little magic he had and the help of many books, fixed the spell so that it worked with him as well as his Mary.  
  
He heard Voldemort talking in his ear from somewhere in the forest-  
  
"It is nearly time." 


	26. the broom ride and the kidnap, chapter 2...

Author's note- I'm almost to the end! This chapter will be sort of the beginning of the end, and it's where the battle between Harry and Voldy will be held, so that's probably going to be about 3 more chapters left, not including the prologue, in which-hint hint- there will be some weddings.  
  
"Come on," Harry whispered to Ginny from underneath his invisibility cloak. Ginny giggled as they stumbled across a tree root, Harry's broom stick sticking out at an odd angle all by itself in midair.  
  
"Harry, if we get caught-," Ginny started.  
  
"Then at least we'll be in detention together," he interrupted. Ginny giggled again. Her bright red hair fell against his should and he urged himself to go faster.  
  
Finally, after many trips and awkward stumbles, they made it to the Quidditch pitch which was lit brightly with stars. Harry slipped the invisibility cloak off them and swung his leg over the broom, gesturing for Ginny to do the same. She did as she was told.  
  
"Hang on," Harry said as he kicked hard off the frozen grounds. Ginny gasped. He had let her wear his furry cloak, and it flew behind her along with her hair as they gathered speed and slipped into the clouds.  
  
Ginny tightened her grip around Harry's torso, and it certainly was not from fear. Her toes brushed the tops of the feathery clouds. She looked up, and bright stars and a full moon light the night air romantically.  
  
Harry, thanking his Quidditch skills, turned around to face her. She pulled his shaggy black hair behind his ear and removed his glasses, holding them tightly in her hand. She smiled and Harry's stomach, which he was now thinking would never be the same, did a huge flip flop into his throat.  
  
She said something he couldn't hear, but it didn't matter anyway. He leaned in to kiss her, and she did the same. Their lips met perfectly and molded instantly together like soft clay. Harry felt his heart rate race and, instead of the usual butterflies in his stomach, it was more like hyperactive elephants.  
  
Finally, with heir kiss nearing an end, Harry pulled the broom steadily to the ground and they stumbled into the grass. Harry picked up the invisibility cloak, and without a word from either, they raced up the stairs of the castle once again and to the abandoned Gryffindor common room.  
  
The fire, which was smoldering, looked like glowing red fireflies. Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry and looked up, into those beautiful green pools of light.  
  
"You're a real romantic, you know that?" she said to him. He smiled into her hair.  
  
"I wouldn't be without you."  
  
* * *  
  
"Harry's not here," whispered Ron through the crack in the boy's dormitory doors. Hermione giggled and tip-toed inside. Ron grabbed her hand and ran eagerly across the room to his bed. Hermione sat obediently on it.  
  
"I love you," she whispered in his ear. He kissed her on the mouth and Hermione felt all of her doubts and fears drain out of her. She moved away from him, however, when she heard an unpleasant THWACK against the wood of the four poster.  
  
"shit," Ron said. He had banged his shin on the bed side. He fell on his knee and yelled louder.  
  
"Ron, are you all right?" Hermione asked, hopping off the side of the bed next to him. Ron began to reply when a small note caught his attention from under the bed. Hermione's stomach hurled into her chest as he reached for in and withdrew his hand, unfolding the note.  
  
His facial expression hardened as his eyes scanned the letter.  
  
"Ron, I-," Hermione began, but her words caught in her throat.  
  
"A forgetfulness potion?" Ron said venomously. Hermione nodded. "Do you know what kind of long term damage that might have done? I could have lost my memory for life!" he shouted. Hermione felt tears well up in the ducts of her eyes. She didn't say a word.  
  
"So, what did I do?" he asked deadly.  
  
"What?" Hermione squeaked. "when?"  
  
"In the astronomy tower. How did I act when you kissed me?" he asked her.  
  
"W-well, you- you sort of fainted," she said. "I didn't have time to see what you would have done." Ron clenched his teeth and got up from the ground, walking to the door.  
  
"Goodbye, Hermione," he said before slamming the door so loud that she could hear the hinges weld. She hoped to god that they had not broken up, but she knew.  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning, Harry came down the stairs to meet Ron and Ginny, who both looked vexed. When Ron turned around and saw Harry nearing them, Harry saw that there was something else in his eyes he couldn't quite put his finger on- anxiety?  
  
"Hermione's gone," he said. Ginny looked at her brother confoundedly. Harry could see that she wasn't going to jump to conclusions. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"I can't BELIEVE that you're over reacting like this. I'll bet you five galleons that she went to the library," she said, holding out her hand. Ron shook it.  
  
"Hermione would never worry us like this," he stated.  
  
"Well, er- there was the time in our fourth year when she went to look for animagus, and the other time in our fifth year when she studied up on the order for the whole last semester, and then in our sixth year-," Ron glared at him. He was still in a terrible mood from the night before.  
  
He knew that if he didn't fix this, it would screw up his entire life.  
  
* * *  
  
Hermione slowly opened her eyes, and if she was able to scream, she would have. But all that came out was a muffled cry from beneath the charmed bandana that was stuffed between her jaw, nearly choking her.  
  
She tried to move, but found that tight bound cords circled around her entire body, gluing her to the splintery old chair that she was stuck to.  
  
She did the best she could to look around- the petrificus totalus spell must have been put on her to make her stiff as a board. She seemed to be in the lowest, dirtiest dungeon of Hogwarts. She'd never seen it before.  
  
Lars laughed quietly to himself from a corner of the room Hermione couldn't see. It was so convenient that she had happened to be in the library that night- alone. Harry Potter was sure to come and save her, and he could only hope that Ginny would follow.  
  
It didn't matter much if the stupid red-headed prat Ron came, Lars had no use for him. He would most likely kill him with his brand new wand that Voldemort himself had carved. 


	27. The rings, the death, and the nightmare,...

Author's note- No reviews- I MUST HAVE REVIEWS! Phew-uh-anyway-hm. This chapter will definitely have a lot of fluff in it, including some adventure and a pair of really great rings. Breakups, reunions, torture uncontrollable screaming, and even a death ahead. Wow, sounds like a bucket full of fun!  
  
Harry woke that night, his scar burning like a white-hot wire pressed into his skin, the nightmare still playing over in his mind.  
  
Lars-that was the name of the boy. Hermione was down in a secret dungeon, her body tortured and mangled and barely alive. Her heartbeat was two per minute. She was dying. He was killing her.  
  
He wanted him and Ginny. And Mary- she was alive. No, she was a ghost. Lars made her a ghost- he made her a ghost because of his love for her. Harry felt a small pang of sadness for him, but it dissolved quickly.  
  
It all came together in his mind- all except one thing. If Lars was the same age as his sister, and she died eighteen years ago, then why didn't he look any older? Lars still looked like he was the same age as he was when Harry's sister died.  
  
Ginny. It seemed that no matter what was happening, he always thought about her. He was going to have to save Hermione; What if he died? What if something happened to one of them, leaving the other alone?  
  
That was all it took.  
  
* * *  
  
Seameus unlocked the castle door with his wand and walked quietly inside, heading towards the Gryffindor common room. He trotted silently down the corridor to his left, whistling contently.  
  
He stopped, however, when he heard a scream from underneath him- it sounded like Hermione. His heart thumping rapidly, he raced down the corridor and down a large number of steps that he had never seen before.  
  
The screams grew louder, and he ran faster. She sounded like she was dying. Finally, he reached the door to the dungeon, panting from exhaustion and horrible fear. He opened the door and screamed.  
  
He only saw Hermione's long, curly hair fall to the ground before-  
  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
  
* * *  
  
Harry raced down the stairs of his dormitory and saw the back of Ginny's head, shaking uncontrollably from her hysterical weeping. She turned around, her face blotchy and tear-worn.  
  
"Seameus is dead," she wailed. Harry stood there in shock, his mouth open. Finally, he swallowed down a lump in her throat and spoke.  
  
"How?" he croaked, walking over to her. She gave a shuddering breath.  
  
"He came home from holidays early and they found his body outside the castle," she said in no more than a whisper.  
  
"Oh god," Harry said. "Oh god. He's here." Ginny knew what he was talking about and didn't say a word. He reached into his pocket and took out two rings, Ginny watching him. One of them was gold with a white jewel spiraling in slanting lines around it like a candy cane.  
  
The other was one small jewel of the same kind. They obviously went together. Harry slipped the one with one jewel onto Ginny's finger, and it glowed scarlet. Harry put his spiraling one on as well, and it too glowed red.  
  
"If I die then the light will go out," Harry said.  
  
"No," Ginny said. "No. You're not going to die. And we can't get married. Not yet- I'm seventeen! We can wait. We can wait for a few years," she said.  
  
"We may not HAVE a few years!" Harry said. Ginny sniffed. "If I go we'll never be able to do anything, so if you want to get engaged we'd better do it now. Ginny, will you marry me?" Harry asked, holding her hand.  
  
Ginny nodded. Harry leaned forward and kissed her lightly.  
  
"Don't follow me. No matter what happens," he whispered.  
  
"Okay," Ginny said in his ear. "I promise."  
  
Harry walked away from her, opening the door to the common room.  
  
"I love you," he said, closing the door with a bang.  
  
"I love you too," Ginny whispered.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry knew exactly where to go. In his dream, he had seen the dungeon and everything in it. He knew that he probably wouldn't live through this, but it didn't matter. Not anymore.  
  
He didn't even notice the ice-cold chill that filled the air as he walked down the stairs. He went through many corridors and passageways, the coldness growing. Finally, he saw the door and opened it.  
  
He had to cover his mouth from screaming as he saw the limp figure of Hermione on the ground, a puddle of blood dampening her hair. He ran over to her, checking for a heart beat through her chest.  
  
Nothing. He put his ear over her breath and waited. Finally, after a minute and a half, Harry heard an incredibly faint THUMP. She was still alive, but by a thread that was already breaking.  
  
He looked up, and his heart plummeted. Lars was standing there, twirling his wand between his finger.  
  
"Harry Potter," he said quietly.  
  
"You bastard," Harry breathed. "You did this to her. And you killed Seameus." Harry pointed a shaking finger at him. He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Good job! Of course, his body was quite hard to drag onto the grounds, but I managed it," Lars said. "And now, since your little girlfriend isn't here and you've really pissed me off, I think I'm gonna torture you nice and slow until she comes."  
  
"Do your worst," said Harry savagely.  
  
"CRUCIO!" Lars bellowed.  
  
* * *  
  
Ginny's felt her heart stop as her ring turned white and back to red again. He was dying. She began to hyperventilate as it turned white again and then back to red- but the red was beginning to fade to magenta. She screamed as it again turned pale- longer this time- and then to a paling pink.  
  
Tears welling up in her eyes, she ran through the door, breaking her promise to Harry. The ring worked, she found, as a kind of tracker, and it guided her to the dungeons. Every second she walked, the ring grew fainter.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry felt his heart stop and then beat again, blood leaking from his temples. The pain from the Crutacious curse was lessening as death lured in front of him. Lars's voice grew fainter, and his life began to flash before his eyes like wildfire.  
  
His mother, nursing him as a baby. The Durslys, spanking him for turning the television. The first time he went to Hogwarts. His first Quidditch match. Getting the Firebolt for Christmas in his third year. Fighting with the order. Teaming up with Malfoy to fight evil. Seeing Ginny on the train in September. Watching her come in from the door at Hogsmeade. Their first kiss.  
  
"She'll be coming soon," Lars said. "Good thing I can't kill you, Potter, or you'd already be blown into a million tiny pieces." Harry felt his heart beat slow and his breathing fade. And then, a faint opening of a door and a scream met his ears- Ginny had come for him.  
  
"Ginny," Harry muttered. "No."  
  
"I'm sorry, Harry," she whispered, running beside him and dropping to her knees. She held his hand and began to cry on his back.  
  
"Isn't this touching," Lars said. Now, at least Harry could die in piece. But, this didn't feel like dying. His vision was clearing and Lars's voice was louder. Finally, he was able to sit up- stand up. Lars looked faintly surprised.  
  
For a minute, they were all silent. And then, a voice that seemed far away and distant met everyone's ears.  
  
"Lars, wait. I'm here." Mary passed through the closed door and Harry's eyes welled with tears. For a moment, she just looked at all of them. And then, she turned to Harry and floated to him.  
  
"My baby brother," she said softly. "I missed you so much." A tear rolled down his face and he smiled.  
  
Mary turned to Lars, who was also crying, but much harder than Harry.  
  
"Mary. Mary, I love you. I love you so much," he said. Mary smiled.  
  
"I love you too. But Lars, why are you doing this? Why have you turned?" she asked him concernedly. Lars shook his head.  
  
"Voldemort came to me and said my father was dead, and he told me he could bring you back," he said.  
  
"Lars, have you wondered why Voldemort was never able to kill you?" she asked him.  
  
"No," Lars said. "Why?"  
  
"Because it was your destiny to destroy him. You can't die until you kill him. Come, come look," Mary said, floating over to a small puddle of water in the far corner. She pointed at it and Lars looked at his reflection. His eyes widened.  
  
"You can't get any older, either." Everyone stared in awe for a moment before he spoke again.  
  
"W-Why me?" he asked quietly. Mary sighed.  
  
"Your father didn't die, Lars. Your father is Voldemort." 


	28. The last installement plus the epilouge ...

Author's note- Last chapter! Last Chapter! Epilogue included! Last Chapter! Woo hoo!  
  
  
  
Lard, his arms wrapped around his legs, stared through the far side of stone wall, trying to put his life back together. Harry tried to feel sorry for him, but he had killed Seameus. What he really wanted to do was pull out his wand and curse the pants off him.  
  
Ginny was tending to Hermione in the corner, and Harry could tell that things didn't look to good. Mary was floating in the middle of the room, her hands enlaced together, staring at each one of them with a transparent, solemn face.  
  
Finally, in a scratchy voice, Harry spoke. He wondered if he would be so scared if Ginny was sitting beside him.  
  
"Why did he try to kill me?" he asked Mary. She smiled.  
  
"I was hoping to keep the best part for the end-," She began mischievously. Harry looked at her with intensity.  
  
"What?" he nearly shouted.  
  
"Well, it's quite odd, actually, because Lars has to kill him, but all of the prophecies say that it will be the heir of Gryffindor." Harry's brow furrowed behind his glasses. What did that have to do with him?  
  
Mary read his face and began again. "Harry, you git, you're the hair of Gryffindor!"  
  
"Excuse me?" said Harry.  
  
"You heard me," Mary said. Harry had heard her, but he couldn't believe it.  
  
"Me?" was all he could say. Mary nodded.  
  
"you." Harry looked at her confoundedly, but his shock went quickly away as a large ring of fire appeared from the center of the room.  
  
* * *  
  
Ginny screamed and Voldemort stepped from the smoldering fire. Harry's scar began to sear with pain; at least ten times worse than it had all of the other times he had faced Voldemort. He dropped to his knees and moaned in pain. Voldemort laughed.  
  
He turned to Lars.  
  
"Why hello- son." Lars's eyes narrowed. He didn't fear him anymore- he despised him more than any other human being in the world.  
  
"I see you've found out of your powers. Shame, I'm going to have to kill you," he hissed softly. Lars's wand was out in the blink of an eye. Harry, from a crack in his fingers, thought that he saw a tiny glimpse of a flinch flash across Voldemort's face.  
  
He turned on his knees, and Lars glanced at him, then back to Voldemort. Harry couldn't see how he could look him in the eye like that. Harry, slowly, wobbled to his knees and took out his own wand, but Voldemort's hand wrapped around his throat.  
  
"Think you could fool me, did you?" Voldemort asked, his gaze still on Lars. Harry struggled for a breath. And it was then, under Voldemort's deadly grip, that it came to him as well as Lars.  
  
He felt his fingertips warm, and the heat of realization and power surge through his body. Voldemort hissed loudly and drew his hand back, which was bleeding. Harry cast a glance at Lars and he half smiled at him.  
  
If Lars wasn't really alive, and he wasn't really dead- then he didn't really have a body. Lars, as if in slow motion as Voldemort watched in horror, ran over to Harry and did a perfectly precision dive into his chest.  
  
* * *  
  
The power was nearly overwhelming; Lars's hand- the one with the ring- was searing with white hotness. He held it out at Voldemort, who had his wand outstretched.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" he yelled over and over again, but the force from Lars's hand pushed them away. Finally, when he was a foot away from Voldemort, Lars turned his head to the side and said, "Goodbye, father."  
  
He conjured up every ounce of magic into his hand, though he didn't need it. Voldemort was pushed with the force of a rocket into a pit of fire that had just come up from the ground. Panting, Lars pulled his way out of Harry, who immediately ran over to Ginny, who was crying.  
  
They kissed each other, terrified and relieved at the same time. The kiss was so long and hard that it almost hurt, but Ginny didn't care. Harry was safe and all that mattered was that their rings still glowed red.  
  
"Hermione," Harry said, pulling away. Ginny said nothing, and Harry felt his heart drop into his feet. But a voice behind him made it rise again.  
  
"What about me?" Hermione said. Harry, exhausted, let out a cry of laughter and pant.  
  
"He's gone. He's finally gone," Harry said, staring at the wall behind Ginny's head.  
  
* * *  
  
Before Harry boarded the train home, he said his last goodbye to Lars, who was running off to stay as far away as possible from Azkaban. At the moment, he even had a large rimmed bowler hat on so it shadowed his entire face.  
  
"So where are you going to go?" Harry asked him. Lars stared above his messy hair.  
  
"You know what? I have no idea."  
  
* * *  
  
EPILOUGUE  
  
***********  
  
The wedding was beautiful- fall leaves flew around in the swirling colors of the lowering sun. Harry held Ginny hand and they stared at each other, exited smiles on their faces. Harry ran his finger over her ring- the same red ring that he had given her five years ago when he had defeated Voldemort.  
  
Her veil was behind her fiery hair, and Harry felt the same butterflies in his stomach as he always had when she smiled at him. As the pastor finished with his speech, Harry caught a glimpse of Ron and Hermione, their own rings glinting in the sun, out of the corner of his eye. They had gotten married right out of school.  
  
"Do you, Harry Potter, take Virginia Weasly to be your wife, in sickness and in health, till' death do you part?" the pastor said.  
  
"I do."  
  
"And do you, Virginia Weasly, take Harry Potter to be you husband in sickness and in health, till' death do you part?"  
  
"I do."  
  
"Then you may kiss the bride." Harry, just as the sun faded behind the hilly forest side of Hogwarts, kissed Ginny and felt warmth spread through him again. Harry could feel her smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
And ass the crowd clapped, the newly darkened sky showered them all with early stars and the rock hide-out where Ginny and Harry had first kissed lit like marble from the moon.  
  
The End 


End file.
